An Ocean's Sword
by Modern Sky
Summary: In the darkness of the sea, the abyss slumbers, biding its time until the proper hour. Its enemies defeated, its existence forgotten, humanity would be unprepared for the coming storm. Yet in the fires of the Fourth Holy Grail War hope awakens, and stumbling onto a young Shirou Emiya, she makes her choice. And everything changes. "Admiral, aircraft carrier Kaga, awaiting orders."
1. Weigh Anchor!

A/N: A little while ago as my college semester came to an end I suddenly felt the inclination to write a Fate Stay Night crossover. I've worked on-and-off on a few projects the past few years, but I think this is the first time I've ever gotten around to posting anything.

The issue I quickly ran into however is that I think we've seen Shirou take on just about every kind of role I could place him in. Through crossovers and small changes – whether for better or worse – we've seen him take on the mantle of competent mage, dark anti-hero, and an overpowered mess of a shounen protagonist. Then you include everything in-between and well…

Then it struck me that I've never really seen him thrust into a leadership role. Not the kind where his friends flock to him because of plot reasons or his well-known fan status as a harem protagonist, but something along the lines of a tactician. I think I've been playing too much Fire Emblem lately.

Anyway, from that inspiration came this…

* * *

 **An Ocean's Sword  
** **Chapter 1  
** **Enlistment (I) – Weigh Anchor!**

–––––

' _I see… so this is all their sacrifice is worth, huh?'_

Those were her first thoughts as she awoke from those dreams, a hopeless attempt to regain that strength already lost to her. She looked down at the hands that were no longer there. Hands that had not originally been hers, but ones she had grown to love for the symbol they were of those children. Both were gone now, lost to get her where she was.

Her spiritual core was likely the only thing that remained of those events.

How long had it been since then? Sadly, no answer was forthcoming to that question, as it seemed that time had slipped by her. Normally that wouldn't have mattered, time having long since become nothing more than a meaningless concept to one who was not bound by its chains, but that was no longer the case. Now she was caught in an agenda outside of her own making, facing another situation in which her laws were all but useless. Yet as if to bridge the consequences of such a loss, she in turn found herself further in understanding the hidden qualities of the race she had questioned for so long.

That was when she looked at her surroundings, and all thoughts of her past were quickly forgotten.

' _Where is this place? This… I was supposed to stop such a thing from happening!'_

The fire. The ash. The _pain_.It painted a picture of suffering with such intensity even an existence such as hers was left unnerved. It should be said that the taste of death that permeated the air – suffocating if not for her current form, or lack thereof – wasn't one she was unfamiliar with. Nonetheless, it was because of that she had sworn to never let such a thing happen again.

So that left the question: What had happened here? What had changed, or more likely, what was it she had overlooked? More importantly, why hadn't she been awoken before…

Ah, so that's what it was.

If she could have, no doubt a frown would have marred her features as the impression came to her. Whatever it was that had caused such destruction, which had borne the evil that now dwelled in this place, it was not the work of the one she had promised to defeat. The one whose activity had been the sole condition she had placed to be awoken from her slumber. Only now had that restriction been met, for the remains of such a presence that could still be felt would undoubtedly draw the enemy here. Problem was, this was happening far sooner than she'd expected.

She hadn't had time to recover even a fraction of that which had been stolen from her, let alone regain any of her physical form. As things stood, if it chose to attack now, there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was fortunate then, that the presence in this place was nothing more than a lingering residue. The source, for reasons she could only guess, had already disappeared. However that didn't change the irreparable damage that had already been done, and when whatever caused this appeared again, she didn't need her experience to know of the destruction that'd be wrought.

When that happened, even this place would feel like a sanctuary in comparison.

' _Not if I have anything to say about it.'_

She wouldn't let that happen, but she needed something in order to stand in opposition of that. A vessel. Something from which she could finally enact some form of counterstrike…

As if to spite that resolve, the thoughts and memories came to her regarding the last time she'd tried such a thing, as well as the tragedy that had resulted. No, she needed something much more than a puppet. She had learned from her previous mistakes and naïveté, from when the only thing she had of her enemy was the corruption of their first encounter. The image of a simple necklace came to mind, one childishly made of cheap twine and an uncut crystal.

Though it had come with great sacrifice, she had much more than that this time around.

The only thing missing was a partner.

Such was the note with which she began her search. Sadly however, it became quickly apparent that the hope she was looking for wouldn't be found in such a place. None of these… people – if you could even still call them that – were enough to be what she needed, what humanity needed.

She understood the impossible height of her expectations. That she was looking for a hero amongst scenery that may as well been hell, in an era in which true heroes had ceased to be. One after another, she passed by the bodies of the dead and dying. Even when she finally stumbled onto the ones who had managed to endure, it was only to find that their very will being corrupted into something she could no longer recognize. To put it bluntly, it was impossible to consider such grotesque things human anymore, clinging as they were to their own survival. A silly concept, but one she had come to put above all others.

' _Still, if I can't find it here, then perhaps what I seek lies outside of my reach after all.'_

No, if a fire such as this was all it took to break them, then to allow their passing would be the more merciful undertaking. In order to face the coming trials her partner needed to be strong, an embodiment of all the strengths she knew could exist in the human spirit. A weakened body was something that could be improved, possibly even replaced given time, but there was nothing she could do to mend the soul.

It was just as she was preparing to leave, to set course for a new location to begin her search anew, that she found him. A boy lay amongst the wreckage, a mere child with auburn hair and tired eyes. He was hurt, dying even, but he wasn't beyond saving quite yet.

What was far more crucial however, was the boy's mindset. His condition was negligibly better than that of the others that surrounded the two of them, yet at the same time there was something about him that was fundamentally different. For even now as his original self was fading, as if to fight that outcome something still remained, a part of him that was even now struggling. Was it… potential? …determination? …hope?

In the end it likely came down to a combination of all three, as well as something much more.

This boy held a strength about him that the others didn't, the exact sort she was looking for, and one she was aware was growing rarer amongst humanity. The last time she'd seen such a thing… well, it'd probably be better if she did her best to lock such memories away, despite how much she feared the consequences of doing such a thing to herself.

Still, such a level of experience shouldn't have been possible to find in one so young. Most likely, it was the fire itself that had brought about such resilience, such an incredible will. Without it, the boy would've likely lived his entire life without awakening such a part of him. Apparently, it appeared that something useful had been forged from these fires after all.

She did her best not to imagine what the cost had been to feed such a furnace.

Kneeling down, she affectionately rubbed his hair. She still had trouble understanding the emotions behind the gesture, but she'd done it enough times by now to at least comprehend the meaning it held for others. Though the boy wasn't of the origin he could detect her presence, she still offered him what comfort she could, embracing his small form as if to protect him from what was to come.

It was then that she noticed that somehow, the tension in his shoulders relaxed, like a child entrusting his safety to a trusted guardian. As if to prove the impossible. As if he actually _could_ feel her proximity, something that came from that which was and yet wasn't, that which shouldn't exist and yet did so regardless.

 _As if she were an abyss that seemed to defy the very will of Gaia herself._

Yes, the boy would surely do more than just fine.

If nothing else, both he and she would face the coming future together. His current origins may not have been enough to face the coming storm, but that was easy enough to change. It looked like she'd have her work set out for her as the boy came of age.

With that thought in mind, and a final whisper of thanks, she smiled.

A grin that became that much larger when her primary concern, the boy's health, was solved through the actions of another. And when she caught a glimpse of the object responsible, of the _miracle_ that now rested with the boy, she knew she had made the right choice.

' _Now to give you a gift of my own, Little One. From now on, consider this the seal to our partnership.'_

* * *

It's not often that large events have a chance to mold one's character. Perhaps they might leave an impression – one that might even change the course of the one affected – but in the end it's the little things we do that end up building who we are. For a child whose existence was such a blank slate as Shirou however, such an impression wouldn't only define his character, but would also set the path he was destined to follow for the rest of his days.

"Old man, what's that?"

…and in this case it just so happened to be a single question that would prove to be that influence.

"Hm?"

Looking down at the board game that currently sat between him and a young Taiga Fujimura, Kiritsugu couldn't help but grin at the frustrated look on the young heiress' face as she tried to find a way out of the corner she'd driven herself into. Appreciatively taking the cup of tea prepared by and given to him by his adopted son, the retired mercenary enjoyed the calming aroma as he pondered that question.

It wasn't like it was anything particularly special. In a moment of boredom in the calm after dinner Taiga had asked him to play a game of shogi with her, only it seemed the young girl hadn't expected him to know the game as well as he did. Though then again perhaps it might not have come with such surprise if she had known anything about his background to begin with. The early days of his time with Natalia had given him plenty of experience with such distractions.

No, what intrigued him was the sudden interest his son Shirou seemed to have in the game. Since adopting him the boy had barely displayed any sort of interest in anything aside from his status as a magus and oddly enough, cooking. Though considering the skill both he and Taiga had in the kitchen, or complete lack thereof, perhaps that second one wasn't so much interest as it was self-preservation. To see him intrigued by anything, well… it stirred whatever measure of pride he still had remaining as a father.

What he couldn't know, for obvious reasons, was that throughout the countless parallels of the Kaleidoscope this was also something Shirou would never do. His interest would've normally stopped upon the note that it was his father who was playing, with the rest of the night passing in his usual silence, yet for some reason things turned out differently.

Of course, that all begged the question: What had changed?

Unfortunately or perhaps for the best, such an inquiry lay outside the possibility of the boy's father, and without such Kiritsugu unintentionally changed the very fate of the boy he had adopted of only a few months ago. All with a rather simple question.

"Are you not familiar with shogi, Shirou?"

As the boy shook his head in denial, in that same moment Taiga seemed to have finally resigned herself to her fate, sighing in exasperation as she fell onto her back, indicating her resignation in the contest of wits. Well, perhaps this provided as good an opportunity as any.

"Would you like to play a game then?"

* * *

As the months turned into years, such was how a new nightly tradition began in the Emiya household, as well as the means by which Shirou found himself introduced to the world of strategy and tactics.

The foundations of leadership.

While he was certainly no gifted prodigy when it came to the subject, if there was one trait with which he excelled in, it was his ability to learn and adapt. In other words, what he lacked in talent he made up for with persistence. Within a matter of weeks even Kiritsugu found himself pressed with growing frequency, and when the day finally came that his son claimed his first victory, he was conflicted whether he was supposed to be proud as a father, or embarrassed that he'd been outwitted by a child.

That said, the sharp mind of the one once known as the Magus Killer has long since dulled beyond recovery.

However, it wasn't like their games were accompanied by silence. After he finally gave into the boy's repeated requests to teach him magic, it also became something of a pattern that the father would use the peaceful atmosphere for such lessons, as well as get any new updates on the boy's progress. To be honest, it seemed to be the one category where the boy's tenacity had no effect, his development bordering on the trivial on the best of days, but that wasn't all they talked of.

"Can I ask you something?"

Something had been bothering Shirou lately, something he'd noticed after they'd begun these games of theirs.

"What is it, Shirou?"

Currently, the two of them were sitting on the porch of their home, enjoying a peaceful view of the night sky in the warmth of a summer night. This too, had become something of a tradition between them, and the boy had difficulty deciding which he enjoyed more. Any time spent with his father were moments held precious to him.

"Is it important for a hero to know how to lead?"

It was something he took note of early on, a metaphor of sorts that he'd seen in the pieces under his control. As long as the king, the leader, remained on the field victory was always a possibility. It was no different than the stories he could sometimes get out of Taiga. Heroes weren't just people who helped others, or even saved them for that matter, they also did everything in their power to lead towards a brighter dawn. Inspiring armies, nations, and sometimes most impressively merely a small handful of men to do what others thought impossible.

The distinction was a simple one – obvious even – but for someone who led a path such as Shirou's, it changed everything.

Sitting next to him as he was, the boy missed the self-depreciating grin on his father's face. Sadly, even if he did notice, the meaning of such an expression would likely have escaped him regardless. Kiritsugu's past was one responsibility he refused to let fall to his son, regardless of the impression he got at times that such a decision was a mistake.

If only he knew of the fateful meeting his two children were already destined to have.

"I… wouldn't know. I guess you could say my journey's always been a bit of a lonely one. Though to answer your question, Shirou…"

The man could tell his time was approaching soon, that the curse that dwelled within his veins had already passed the point of no return. Already he was too weakened to continue his trips to Germany, let alone hold onto any hope of ever rescuing his lost daughter. Ilya was gone, but he was determined to his last breath to at least set Shirou on the right path.

"The path of a hero is a heavy one, and perhaps a burden too great for any single man to bear. Maybe if I'd have realized that sooner, yet nonetheless… One thing you must remember Shirou is that a hero doesn't just save people, he also understands charisma and practices compassion. Perhaps I failed because I didn't want to suffer the consequences of that, that I feared the loss can come with such attachment, but I think carrying that pain might be the very thing that makes a hero."

In response to his father's musings the boy's expression became a bit troubled, but then as if coming to his decision he nodded. From that, something about his figure seemed more resolved, while muttering under his breath, "I see. So that's what a hero is."

"Hm?" Had Shirou said something?

"No, it's nothing. Thanks for answering my questions, old man."

Shrugging, Kiritsugu never thought much more of that conversation, writing it off as the idle curiosities of his son. From there it was a statement of his age and just how far he'd fallen, in that he never caught on to the fact that from that day he never won another of those games between them, let alone understand the significance of such a thing.

Several months later, another conversation under a similar night sky would take place between the two. For the man, it would bring about the peace to his burdened soul that he'd strived for his entire life. For the boy, well… it all began with a single promise. One that'd be the final piece Shirou needed in setting his course. In order to lead others after all, first one had to know where they were going themselves.

" _But I can do it. Leave it to me… your dream."_

* * *

With a cry of frustration, Taiga Fujimura tilted her head back while pulling at her hair, finally reaching breaking point in regards to her growing concerns. That in itself spoke volumes, considering the rather eccentric nature of the woman. Kiritsugu's passing had been a small, and unfortunately unknown affair, and though the funeral procession had long since split up and gone their separate ways, she still had trouble with coming to terms that this left a small boy feeling more than just a little lost and confused.

To be honest, she wasn't even sure if Shirou had it in him to shed any tears, but it was still pretty obvious of the manner his father's death had affected him through his actions. Just the other day he'd gotten lost in thought and almost burned lunch, not to mention the tension that currently existed in the place she ate most of her meals. All of that placed on top of her own grief was proving to ruin her favorite time of the day, dammit!

Seriously though, she just really wanted to do something to brighten the kid up already. He was the closest thing she had to a little brother, after all.

Such was the determination with which the Fujimura heiress came to just before arriving at the Emiya household, only to be in the middle of marching from the entrance to the main living area when she came to a sudden stop as a thought struck her. All things said, it would've been nice if this problem had come to her a lot earlier.

'Cause come to think of it, what _did_ Shirou like anyway?

Sure, he cooked a lot, but she could see enough to know that such a thing had more to do with the boy's frustratingly selfless nature than it was an actual interest. Aside from that, everything she'd seen the boy do seem to just be a mirror of his father's actions, hence the original problem. The boy just didn't seem to have enough of his own character to do anything proactively without his role model around. Well, it wasn't like standing here would give her any answers.

Sliding open the screen door before her, the answer – as it turned out - couldn't have been placed more obviously in front of her.

"Shirou? Are you reading _Sun Tzu_?"

"Uh? I'm trying to? To be honest, a lot of it doesn't make sense." Indeed, the boy's expression indicated more than a bit of frustration with the material, in fact she actually had to hold herself back from giggling. It wasn't often that she caught Shirou with such an expression, but in each case she made sure to enjoy them as she could. Such things would undoubtedly prove to be great teasing material as the boy got older.

Though now that she thought about it, Taiga recalled that there had always been one significant thing Shirou had taken an interest in. For some reason, he had a rather reserved, if not impressive, gift for strategy. Perhaps it wasn't so surprising that she would forget that, considering how much of a bitter impression it'd left on her when he'd beaten her at every board game she challenged him to aside from _LIFE_ of all things _._

For some reason, that game seemed intent on making Shirou its punching bag. Actually, he seemed to be rather terrible with games of chance in general now that she thought of it, but that was a thought she could sort for later.

Here and now, there was a question she needed to ask, something she probably should've done a while ago. "Um, Shirou? What is that you want to be when you're older?"

When he told her, it wasn't far from what she was expecting, though she did have some difficulty matching it to his personality. Regardless this was… yeah, she could work with this.

* * *

' _Why am I here again?'_

In what seemed like the most recent antic in the life of his self-proclaimed older sister, Taiga had begun dragging him off to what seemed like every museum within driving distance of Fuyuki. He'd agreed to come because she'd asked for his help with a school assignment, but he'd noticed by this point a suspiciously large bit of nothing happening on her end during all of these trips. The fact that she'd gotten Otoko to come with them made him equally skeptical.

So that begged the question: What _were_ they doing, anyway?

Still, he'd be lying if he said he'd remained uninterested through all of it. That one exhibit on the Sengoku period had been particularly interesting – especially the display that'd been lined up with replica weapons of the time – but through that one and each one after it seemed to be the same thing again and again. A nation divided, broken up into a bunch of warring states led by their associated daimyo in a bid for power, leading to feudal war after feudal war.

It didn't match with his ideal of what a hero or a leader needed to be. How were they supposed to save anyone, if they spent so much time and resources fighting amongst each other, when they could have been fighting for something more?

Of course, this was all coming from the naïve eyes of an idealistic pre-teen, but in Shirou's eyes there just wasn't a way to rationalize such a waste of life. Such was his attitude as they arrived at their most recent destination, which thankfully was also the last on the list that Fuji-nee had acquired. Apparently one of her father's men was quite the history expert.

It was located in the Kure Naval District, a few hours drive from Fuyuki City, and was a building with the namesake of something called the… what was it again? Eh, the name wasn't what was important, but apparently the place was well known – Fuji-nee's words, not his – for its exhibits displaying the pride of the Japanese Navy during the Pacific Theatre. Whatever that meant.

If there was one thing Shirou had gotten from all of this, it was a realization of just how unfamiliar he was with the history of his own country.

He was expecting another old building brimmed with displays of antique photos and rusted metal parts. Perhaps even an aging guide who could put rocks to sleep if he got lucky, andthe less he said of the headache just waiting to happen that went by the name Taiga Fujimura, the more likely he was not to jinx himself.

Instead, he got something else entirely.

From the moment he entered the building proper, the entire thing filled his vision, and the only word coherent to his childish mind came to be a long and drawn-out _massive_.

Swords, spears, bows. As weapons they were simple, elegant, and effective. They fascinated him, drew him in to their individual stories, and helped direct him on the path he thought was most appropriate for a hero. For all their worth however, those weapons had no sense of scale to match that of their legends, no presence that could make a man take a step back in awe. This was the first time he'd ever experienced the latter, something he'd never encounter before, and it gave him feelings he had no experience with.

In other words, though he himself didn't realize it, this was the first time in his life the child who had adopted the name Shirou Emiya found himself awestruck.

As for the boy himself, he found that there was a voice in the back of his head whispering the answer to his unasked question. This was _power_. This was an example of a nation's pride given heart through nothing more than engineering expertise, what Taiga mentioned had been Japan's last demonstration of its own military might, proudly displayed on the world stage. He might've been a kid without any sort of pride to call his own, but that didn't mean he couldn't understand and appreciate it in others from a distance.

This… was this what he'd been looking for?

At that moment he noticed Fuji-nee and her best friend approaching from the other side of the display. He'd been so caught up in understanding what was in front of him that he hadn't even noticed either of them leave. In her hands was a simple paper bag with what he assumed to be the museum's logo printed on the side, and as usual she had that rather troubling grin on her face, with Otoko looking more than a bit exasperated at her side. He sighed, resigning himself to whatever it was she had planned, but before that…

"Fuji-nee, what is this?"

What had caught his attention was the center floor exhibit, as well as the museum's main attraction. It was a boat that had to be at least 20 meters from end to end, originating of an older design and with small little human figurines on it to distinguish scale. What set it apart from every other boat he had ever seen however was the three colossal turrets that sat on its deck, a large array of significantly smaller ones aligned on both the right and left sides. He'd never seen such a thing before.

Standing next to him by this point, and joining him in his appraisal Taiga answered him, "That's a model of a battleship, Shirou. One of the largest in the world that was ever built. Even this model here is estimated to only be about a tenth of the real one in scale."

She sighed. "It's good to know you finally found an interest in something, I thought we were going to waste this entire day trying to get you to… ah." Suddenly, her expression became rather comical as she realized her own verbal slip. This wasn't about a school project after all, was it? "Ehehe, guess I got to come clean on this one, don't I? Neko-chan, explain it for me~"

"Don't you dare try and get me involved in this. I didn't realize you never told him," Otoko muttered as she shook her head.

The heiress' grin was suddenly a lot more sheepish. "The truth is Shirou, I _might've,_ sort of, kind of, well… lied straight to your face. We're not here because of some sort of school project or anything like that. I just wasn't sure if I could get you to come if I just invited you to join us and have some fun for once. It just seemed like something that might interest you I guess, what with your interest in those war games of yours and all. I figured maybe some history to give you a deeper context might do you some good."

"I… see…" he hesitated, a bit off guard after her confession, regardless of his earlier suspicions. To be honest, he still wasn't sure how to react to these moments in which she tried to reach out towards him, but at the very least…

"Thank you, Fuji-nee. This… I think Dad would've appreciated it."

He actually had no idea if that was true or not, a fact that made him realize just how little he actually knew about his father, but what he did know was the beauty of the ideal his father had given him. It was something he refused to question, something that'd been a part of him since the day of his adoption. Was it strange that some part of him found that same beauty to be in this boat, this battleship, something that was even only a copy of the original? Probably for the best, he'd never get the opportunity to ask his father such a thing.

After all, even in his prime it was most likely that the true response of the _Magus Killer_ would've disappointed the boy's expectations.

With a cry of excitement that shook him from his musings, Fuji-nee suddenly took off down one of the hallways that broke off from the center floor. "Okay! Now with that out of the way, this is only the main exhibit. We've still got plenty of history to cover! C'mon, Neko-chan!"

"Oi, Taiga! This is a public museum, not one of your grandfather's businesses! Slow down!"

Was it normal for a kid like him to be the mature one in such a group?

Left alone to his own devices, he wandered through the remainder of the museum with a bit more care. He was sure he'd probably learned of it before the fire that'd taken his memories, but while the remaining displays didn't leave near the same impression on him that that first one did, it was during this time that Shirou got his first real understanding of what a modern war entailed. Most of it was just history on the port and surrounding district, but even his imagination was active enough to fill in the associated blanks. Who had Japan been fighting? Why had they needed something like that battleship? Had they won?

So preoccupied was he that Shirou didn't even notice he'd reached the open terrace on the top floor until he felt a breeze brushing against his cheek. He briefly looked around before he noticed his two older companions sitting on a nearby bench. When Fuji-nee noticed his approach she waved at him, grabbing for and sandwiching him between the two of them the moment he closed into arm's length. For once, he found he didn't mind her assertive actions.

They stayed like that for a short time, enjoying the sight of the evening activity in the harbor. Shirou in particular found himself mesmerized by the sunset reflected in the sea. It reminded him of the many times he'd stood in the harbor in Fuyuki, to bid his father farewell as he left for another one of his trips on the few occasions he chose sea over air.

It also stirred something much deeper within him. Why was it that this all seemed so familiar?

His musings however were suddenly disturbed when Taiga moved to pick something up at her side. It was that same package he'd noticed with her before, only this time he found it held in front of his face, blocking his view. If Taiga's expression alone wasn't enough the lay bare her intentions, then her repeated mutterings of "Open it! Open it!" certainly did.

Doing so, he found that what was held within was a rather plain package, unadorned by anything like bows or wrapping paper. It looked to be a toy of some kind only… wasn't that?

"Fuji-nee, I don't get it. Why are you giving me this?"

It was a ship model, one of those 'assemble with adult supervision' types, and unsurprisingly it just so happened to be the same ship as the one displayed in the front lobby. It wasn't like he was a stranger to receiving gifts, but he couldn't recall having done anything lately to deserve one. To be honest, Fuji-nee's behavior in all of this struck him as a bit strange.

Moving until she was kneeling in front of him to meet his amber eyes, he could only tilt his head further in question as she reaching out and messed with his hair affectionately. Just as quickly however she looked rather uncomfortable, her gaze shifting as she suddenly had difficulty meeting his eyes.

"Shirou, I know it hasn't been easy since Kiritsugu passed away. Maybe you haven't noticed it yourself yet, but I think you're still mourning in your own fashion. It feels like you're trying to restrain your emotions and frankly, you have me a bit worried."

"I know he was your father. That you want to do everything you can to live up to his memory, but I just wanted to remind you not to forget he wasn't the only family you have. Me, the old man, even Neko-chan when she finds the time to visit." She grinned as the woman in question looked away, crossing her arms as a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Point is, as much as I know you dislike relying on others, you can't do everything on your own. I know you don't want to hear this, but you're just a child Shirou. It's your job to rely on us adults once in a while." As if to counter that entire statement, she stuck out her tongue childishly, bopping herself on the side of her head. He recognized it for what it was though.

Fuji-nee would always be Fuji-nee, but that didn't mean she was unreliable.

Instead he was reminded of just how insightful she could be. Though he'd made sure not to say anything, he actually had been lost the past couple days, though perhaps not for the reasons she suspected. It was because he was unsure of how to press forward without his father's guidance, a growing uncertainty that may very well have begun to drive him mad. Perhaps that was because he'd missed the point.

" _I think carrying that pain might be the very thing that makes a hero."_

His father's words came to mind, from a conversation that seemed so distant by this point. Despite them however he had still tried to take everything upon himself, to shoulder the burden of his father's ideal solely on his own, but maybe…

"So… are you saying a leader isn't supposed to do everything himself?"

"Of course not, idiot. What would be the point? It's a leader's job to know what to do when things get tough, but also when to leave the work to others so he doesn't end up burning himself out. You think it was only a single guy that was responsible for building that ship? We humans tend to be pretty silly at times, but when we band together we can do some really amazing things."

Was… was it wrong of him to want to solve everything on his own, to save everyone on his own? His father had hinted at it throughout the years, before all but stating it on the night of his passing, but was it impossible to be a hero alone as he was? Perhaps…

Perhaps he was going about this all wrong, but what did that mean exactly?

It wasn't an answer that would reveal itself any time soon, but the very fact he could even consider such a question proved that something within him had already changed. As to what that meant, well… the answer to that question lay within something much deeper. In this place however Taiga was standing again, turning to look at the sky that was quickly turning to dusk. "If we're going to get home before midnight we'll have to leave now. Have fun with your toy, Shirou! Let me know if want any others, I think Dad knows a guy."

Slowly following behind the two adults who by this point had all but become his new guardians, Shirou once more looked down at the gift in his arms, still pondering what Taiga had said and what such a thing meant for him.

"The _Yamato_ , huh?"

That night, instead of his usual dreams composed of swords and cold steel, he dreamt of endless seas and hot lead. For some reason, it finally felt like he'd found a home that'd always escaped him.

* * *

 _Judging the concept of creation._

 _Hypothesizing the basic structure._

 _Duplicating the composition material._

 _Imitating…_

"Tch. Not this time either, huh?"

Grunting in frustration, Shirou released his hold on the energy currently coursing through his single magic circuit at the results of his most recent failure. Right now he could only hope to be a fraction of the magus his father ever was, but even that seemed too far out of reach at his current skill level. Leaning back until he was resting on the floor of his shed, he stared up at the ceiling as he pondered that idea.

' _What would you have done here, Dad?'_

Shaking himself of such a discouraging line of thought, he focused back on the other task he was currently working on, grabbing the rag at his side as he went back to work. While doing so he sighed, recalling the manner in which earlier that evening Taiga had teased him regarding how he "got so serious when it came to his toys". Not that he could say anything to deny it.

As it was, he'd ended taking up Fuji-nee's offer. It had all started off as an idle curiosity, something he explored because he'd seen other kids his age get into such things. However, by this point as much as he enjoyed those strategy games he'd played with his father, he was coming to understand that the real world wasn't a place of such convenient rules. Perhaps just as fortunately, he also didn't live in a country where he could get any of that realistic experience he was looking for, and so he'd ended up settling for a middle ground.

He might not have been able to live the conditions of war, but he could certainly do his best to reenact them. It just so happened that his recent interest in the Second World War proved to be a better teacher than he could've hoped for, and oddly enough historic documents had quickly become yet another part of his daily routine.

Of course, there had come a time where his enthusiasm for the whole thing had weakened a bit. When he'd truly begun to understand Japan's role in the war, that it hadn't been anything near as noble as what he'd first imagined. Still, that time quickly passed, and in the end it only drove him to study the many other perspectives of the war. That in turn also meant he studied that large a number of other strategies as well, which in turn all led to his current situation.

Before him on a plastic tarp sat his entire collection. All the many ships that had come to form his "personal fleet" – as Fuji-nee jokingly called it – in the past months.

There were the destroyers such as the Fubuki and Akatsuki. The light cruisers such as the Sendai as well as her heavier counterparts like the Takao. There were the strategically vital aircraft carriers Akagi and Shoukaku, and of course the famous battleships that had found themselves outdated by the end of that war such as the Nagato and Yamato. Thanks to his studies he'd even branched out a bit from the Japanese ships, a model of the Iowa and the Bismarck lying off distantly to the side.

Dusting off the deck of the destroyer model currently in his hands, the Shimakaze, he considered once more how his perspective on the ideal his father had given him had changed since the man's passing. In his studies he'd come to realize that the role he'd been chasing wasn't so much that of a leader as it was a tactician, and just what kind of difference there was between the two, that this entire time he'd actually been chasing a small fraction of such an ideal.

While he'd certainly come a long way from that kid of a few years ago who only thought of helping those in front of him, he was still quite a ways distance until he could consider himself a leader to any regard. He still hadn't matured from that Hero of Justice stage of his quite yet – nor did he have any plans to – but for once it actually felt like he was making some form of progress.

Inevitably however, such thoughts brought him back to his difficulties with his magic. While the stubborn part of him wanted to continue pressing forward with his current routine, the more tactical part of his mindset he was developing recognized what he was currently doing as getting him nowhere. His current path of progression was all but nonexistent and as such, well…

Wasn't the whole role behind a tactician meant to be placed on someone who could imagine the many paths available to him? Just as his perspective of what a hero was had been changed, perhaps it was about time he took the same approach with his magic.

Wait a minute… perspective?

Though his progress might have been abysmal, his efforts hadn't been completely fruitless. Though the likelihood of success was still low, structural analysis was a skill he could truly say he'd made his own. In the end it was nothing more than a skill that allowed him to understand some of the basic fundamentals of an object, but could he perhaps try and take a different approach with it? In any event, it was at least worth a shot.

After all, the worst thing that could happen was only death, right?

Entertaining the new idea, he placed down the object his hands to renew his training once more. Forgoing the usual seven steps he faithfully abided by in his training, a new purpose brought new words to mind, and while repeating them in the same chant-like tone he usually approached magic with, he began.

"Trace, on."

* * *

Such was the manner in which Shirou lived out the days following his father's death, doing all in his power to live out the legacy the man had left him. It wasn't long however before his development began to take a different path, one that normally would've never appeared before him. For though he still saw forms of progress with his magecraft on occasion, it was never on the level of the breakthrough he was looking for, and so with time his focuses began to turn towards the subject in which such a limitation didn't hinder him.

Unfortunately, there was one major drawback to all of his efforts. Even before his father's passing Shirou had always faced difficulties in fitting in amongst his peers, and now entering the abyss known as middle school that fact had never been more heavily emphasized to him. While he was certainly never one to be bullied, that actually had more to do with how none of his classmates wanting to interact with him than any form of luck.

It wasn't like he did anything particularly strange or off-putting, but Shirou wasn't really one to reach out or socialize, and frankly most of his classmates were simply too intimidated by the red-haired teen to do the same. What it came down to was that his goals had ended up in Shirou simply maturing a bit too quickly for his age. Then when you actually did include Shirou's oddities – the flaws in his personality that came as a result of his extreme lack of self-worth – well… needless to say, the boy didn't have a lot of friends.

It probably should've come as no surprise that when the days came that Otoko was too preoccupied with her responsibilities regarding her family's bar, and even Taiga barely found the time in her college schedule to stop by for meals, Shirou suddenly found himself with more time on his hands than he knew what to do with. It actually ended up being the means by which he began to recognize the problem he was being faced with.

Still, it bears repeating that Shirou wasn't a normal child, by any stretch of the imagination. Even faced with the distance placed between him and his classmates, all his efforts to change such a thing seemed to backfire in one way or another. Yet to give credit where it's due, perhaps it should be said that the fact he even took the time to notice such a thing already spoke for the differences his path had taken.

On the other hand, some things never change. Regardless of what their personal feelings were for the boy, it was also undeniable that he held some renown as someone who readily helped anyone in need. It didn't take long for some to notice such behavior, and as children often do, there were those who took advantage of such a personality. Contrary to that though, there were also those who looked down on such people.

Ayako Mitsuzuri was a prime example of such a person.

Hailing from a family rooted deeply in several fields of martial arts, it should've come as no surprise that she held within herself just as strong a sense of honor as she did a competitive streak. She didn't honestly know what to make of the Emiya boy, but she knew she certainly disapproved of the way his helpful nature was abused by some of her peers.

It was on her way home late in the evening – a result from her ironically enough getting roped into cleaning after club activities by some of her seniors – that she stumbled onto a scene that would've normally been disregarded as rather innocent in nature. She would never know that she wasn't the only witness, nor of the lasting effects it would have on the two sisters in the coming years, but it did leave her with more than just a few questions. Namely…

' _When did Emiya become a member of the track team?'_

Before her was the basic setup for any high jump. Unassuming, if it weren't for the fact that it had been left in a state that made the task borderline impossible for children of their stature, yet for some reason a red-headed idiot was trying to make the jump regardless. Of course, she knew he wasn't actually a member, the scene before her most likely just the byproduct of something Shirou had decided to try out while cleaning up. Standing there, she waited for the inevitable moment in which the boy realized the futility of his efforts, assuming that he'd made a mistake in judging just how difficult it was to jump to such a height.

Except that moment never came.

Again and again the boy duplicated the steps in setting up such a jump, only to fail just as repeatedly. Curiosity soon boiled into frustration which then collapsed into intrigue. To be perfectly honest, she'd never given the kid much more than a passing glance, nothing more than perhaps at most some measure of concern. She'd once or twice entertained the idea of striking up a conversation with him, to perhaps figure out why he was always so willing to take on the requests of his classmates, but the thought often passed before she got around to doing anything about it.

Thinking about that as she watched him fail in his most recent attempt, she made her decision.

' _Well, I can't just stand here looking like a creep forever. If I don't put an end to this now, who knows when he'll stop?'_

* * *

He just couldn't understand what he was doing wrong.

Oh, he certainly wasn't referring to the impossible jump before him, the problem with that more than obvious. No, all he was doing right now was keeping his hands busy as his mind wandered, trying to understand his current dilemma. As frustrating as it was to admit, he'd run into a rather heavy road block recently in his efforts, and try as he might he just couldn't figure out what to do about it.

He wanted to be a hero, a leader, someone who saved people but also had the personal strength to accept he couldn't be everywhere at once, yet held the influence to do just that. He wanted to live up to his father's ideal by that very path that'd been presented before him, except now he'd gone and lost his way again. It… frustrated him, continuing to bring him to a question he didn't have an answer to.

For how was he supposed to be a leader when he had no one to _lead_?

"Oi, idiot!"

"Gwa!"

Caught off guard within his thoughts as he was, the sudden voice did more than just startle him a bit in the middle of his most recent jump, leading to the comical sight of his arms flailing in a doomed attempt to straighten his landing. Colliding head first with the mat that had been placed with the specified purpose of such stupidity, he lay there for an additional moment, realizing for the first time just how exhausted he was.

"You alright?"

There it was again, the same voice as before. Rolling onto his back he found a girl sporting an inquisitive pair of brown eyes standing over him. She was… one of his classmates if he recalled correctly. Though he couldn't remember her name, her boyish haircut and athletic figure were certainly distinctive enough, separating her from most of the other girls in his class, though somehow he felt that stating such a thing out loud would probably be a mistake.

Noticing she had his attention, she asked, "Aren't you that super reliable Emiya kid that everyone's afraid of?"

"Am I?"

For some reason his question to her response seemed to be the wrong one. With the way her head was tilted to the side, her dumbfounded expression somehow made him feel like even more of an idiot than he already did.

"You haven't heard any of the gossip that goes on about you? Do you just ignore it, or are you really that oblivious?"

"Is this how you greet everyone you meet, or am I just special?" he replied, redirecting her question with one of his own. A bit of sarcasm he'd developed from what was probably too many years of exposure to his personal insanity he named big sister. For what it was worth, a light color dusted the girl's cheeks as she seemed to recognize how familiar she was behaving with him, but within the next moment she seemed to shake it off while extending a hand out to him to help him get back on his feet.

"Ayako Mitsuzuri," she bluntly introduced, falling further into the stereotype he'd unintentionally given her. Still, completely unknown to him at that moment, such an honest personality would prove to be the one he worked best with. That in itself would prove to be its own blessing in the coming years.

"Shirou Emiya," he returned as he grabbed the extended olive branch, pulling himself to his feet. Or at least that had been his intention, before his knees almost gave out and the girl abruptly found herself supporting half his weight.

Unexpectedly, he was suddenly grateful for that athletic physique of hers. Otherwise… some part of him imagined the embarrassing scenarios that he'd occasionally catch unfolding in one of Fuji-nee's dramas or the occasional anime, and how such situations typically led to the protagonist in a more than just compromising circumstance. He shuddered briefly at the idea of such a thing happening here.

"Oi," the look in her eye quickly became a lot more concerned, "how long exactly have you been doing this?"

"I think I lost count. Two, maybe three hours?"

"Ugh, you really are an idiot, aren't you? Hey Emiya, where do you live?"

Such was how a rather odd, if not close, friendship came to bloom.

* * *

Almost like it was some kind of barrier which had simply ceased to exist, after the next day upon which Ayako had approached Shirou and invited him to lunch, his relationship with the rest of his classmates seemed to do a complete reversal overnight. Perhaps it was because no one had simply tried before, but many of them from that moment quickly realized just how easy it was to talk with the young Emiya. He wasn't necessarily popular, and in end Ayako was really the only classmate he could actually claim was a friend, but even that much turned out to be enough.

It became a frequent occurrence in his schedule that they'd walk home from school together, and more than once the girl had stayed over at his place for dinner. He received no end of teasing from Taiga for that one, though part of him suspected that was due to her jealousy regarding someone else buying into what she claimed to be her "Shirou time", something he figured he was probably safer not understanding.

Though the less said of how petty the idea was of a grown woman becoming jealous of a girl barely half her age was probably the wisest course of action.

Despite such sudden changes however, Shirou's life remained largely the same. For instance, Ayako amusingly enough actually held a great dislike for shogi and other such strategy games, and try as he might he couldn't ever figure out why. As such along with a few other roadblocks, regardless of the improved relationship he was developing with both her and the rest of his classmates Shirou still had yet to find a means for him to press forward with his ideal.

Then came the time for the preparations for the annual school cultural festival, and for the first time in his life Shirou was finally able to witness something akin to his many efforts bearing fruit.

It was during these circumstance that Shirou came to form what would become his odd, and at times strained, relationship with Shinji Matou. Though he and Ayako had a rather hard time getting along, Shirou quickly grew skilled as their mediator. Such a thing didn't go unnoticed, and perhaps simply because no one else wanted to do it, Shirou was asked by the class representative to be their chief organizer.

From that day onwards something swiftly became apparent to her as Ayako noticed a surprising, yet seemingly natural, change in the boy. When given the opportunity, Shirou was a natural born leader.

He assigned tasks in such a manner that the duties were simple, and that no one was left out or overburdened. Following that, throughout the day one could see him jumping from one student to another to give them a helping hand or piece of advice, and it wasn't uncommon to see him staying late even after everyone else had gone home. She wasn't alone in her observations, and if it could've been said he hadn't been popular before, he certainly was now.

The reason for that was clear. These days, even outside of school his classmates _wanted_ to listen to his advice and follow him. As it turned out, in all of his studies Shirou's knowledge had long since extended outside of just things like basic tactics.

Though at first she worried that she'd be left behind in the wake of such events, it didn't take long for Ayako to learn that before he was even a leader, Shirou was fiercely loyal to those he held dear. As if to solely alleviate her concerns, she remained the only person – aside from the ever-present Taiga and occasional Otoko – whom he invited over for dinner as they left school together, and she'd be lying if she claimed to not shed a tear or two within her maidenly heart on the evenings she had to refuse due to family obligations. Sadly, as much as family came first, it didn't change the fact that Shirou's cooking was so far beyond her mother's or her own that it was unfair.

In consideration to all of that, it shouldn't have been surprising that these days she found herself more commonly in agreement with the female gossip that went on in class behind the boy's back. The result in that it had changed from the rude comments of before into the type that turned more than one girl towards uncontrollable giggles or into a blushing wreck.

Such was the manner in which the day of the festival finally came.

* * *

"I'll say this much Emiya, for an idiot you at least do some pretty decent work."

Taking a step back to admire the banner that was currently hung above their classroom doorway, Shinji was once again standing idly as his classmates and the school visitors walked pass him. Ignoring the series of glares he got for his remark, all-in-all it was a scene the other students had grown accustomed to, and so no one said anything more on the matter.

"You going to stand there supervising all day, Matou? Or do you plan to lower yourself amongst the rest of us from your high horse and actually do something useful with your life?" Well, almost everyone at least.

Carrying a large stack of boxes in her arms, Ayako made another one of her snide comments as she passed, smirking at the growl of frustration she got out of the blue-haired boy for her trouble.

"Oh? Tell me, Mitsuzuri, what's it like to be Emiya's ball and chain? Does that come from your parents mistaking you for a boy, or just because you like to be on top?" At his side the two girls from the next class over giggled at his comeback, though whether they were actually amused by his words was anyone's guess.

Shirou would probably never be made aware of such a fact, but his association with him made Shinji as about as popular with the females of their school as himself. Shinji, of course, took advantage of it for all that it was worth, and already it wasn't uncommon to see a clique of girls following him everywhere he went. Unfortunately, they were all of the variety that drove Ayako mad, so they only proved to make the boy that much more insufferable in her eyes.

"If you want Shinji, I think I could come up with something for you to do." Shirou chose that moment to interrupt, cutting off Ayako's own rebuttal regarding Shinji's masculinity – or his lack thereof – before she had a chance.

"Oi Emiya, what do you take me for?" Scowling in Ayako's direction, Shinji continued, "Don't take me for one of your dogs. Now if you'll excuse me, I heard that a class somehow got a maid café pass the teachers, and I'd rather be there before the lines start."

As the boy walked off, the tension that had slowly been building in their class relaxed, and once again they were reminded why they had chosen Shirou to be their head representative. For whatever reason, he was the only one with any skill in defusing Shinji like he just had.

Scratching the back of his head, Shirou turned to Ayako with an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. I know he means well, but Shinji's just… he has a hard time expressing himself."

She sighed, a small grin forming on her lips. Somewhere down the line their relationship had become the sort where he kept _her_ in line, though she fully laid the blame on Shinji for that one. Maybe under separate circumstances, she could've learned to at least tolerate his personality, but the manner in which he took advantage of Shirou's kind nature had instantly put him in her bad books.

"Forget about it, Shirou. You're not the one I want to hear apologizing. The sentiment is appreciated, but how you can defend that jerk is beyond me."

To that Shirou could only shrug, a nervous chuckle escaping him at the exasperated look Ayako was giving him. With that he went back to his current task, handing out two tickets to the couple in front of him who were next in line. "I was a bit skeptical at first, but this haunted house idea ended up being a lot more popular than I was expecting, though why do you think there are so many couples in line?"

"Oh, I don't know. Dark atmosphere, jump scares left and right, a cute girl on your arm who'll undoubtedly press up against you at some point. Doesn't sound like something most guys would be interested in _at all_ ," Ayako answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she sat down behind the desk from where they were collecting admission.

"Ah, I guess that's kind of…"

"Shirou! Look what I've got!" To the familiar voice, both of them held back a cringe, though each did so for a separate reason. What was she doing here? After all, both of them had agreed to not even mention the festival with the hope that she'd get caught up at another school and just up and forget about them. It wouldn't be the first time. Apparently this year that plan had now decided to up and run.

Approaching them was Taiga Fujimura, self-appointed teacher-in-training, and a dedicated practitioner in all things to do with irresponsibility or general freeloading. Somehow, she was also Shirou's assigned guardian, which probably explained a lot more than it should have. Of course, to Shirou who was far too desensitized to such things, what caught his eye was the narrow sack currently slung across her shoulder.

He groaned. Just… as long as this didn't turn out like his elementary school graduation, he could salvage this. Otherwise…

Even if their class was on the second story, that window suddenly appeared very appealing. _'It was nice knowing you, Ayako. I promise your sacrifice won't be in vain.'_

Fortunately, such extreme measures turned out to be unnecessary. Rather, it turned out Fuji-nee hadn't even known about the festival, which he'd undoubtedly be reminded of in the coming weeks. She'd simply come to drop off a package, though why she had to come to his school rather than wait for him to get home was anyone's guess.

On that note, it wasn't even important, simply more scrap to add to the growing pile he had currently collecting in his shed. A couple steel bars, some screws and bolts, a broken motor or two, certainly nothing impressive to write home about.

"More junk, Fuji-nee? Really?"

"Mou, Shirou's such a meanie. I'll have you know your big sister had to do quite a bit of bargain hunting to find these. Since you're helping the old man fix up his bike and all, I thought I'd help out by offering a contribution. You don't need to sound so ungrateful…"

He couldn't do much about the sheepish grin that grew at her story. So that's how it was. Translation: She'd felt bad about having her father laying some of his work on him, and so she'd gotten the idea to help him by getting some of the supplies he was short on. Of course, once she was done she was so embarrassed she immediately ran over to his school to find him, and now they were in their current situation.

Seriously, would this woman ever change?

"I… Thanks, Fuji-nee." He meant it. He was relatively confident most of this would turn out to be as useless as her last supply drop, but she had given it to him with the best intentions. It was an odd sense of appreciation he'd developed when dealing with this woman who claimed to be his older sister, and it was one he resigned himself to for however many days he had on this earth.

After all, he had yet to ever deny the claims she made of their relationship.

Crossing her arms in reluctant acceptance, Taiga nodded to his apology. "Hmph, now that's more like it. Now if you'll excuse, I think I hear some takoyaki calling my name. Oh and Shirou, don't forget about your punishment. Dinner tonight better be absolutely fantastic or else~"

Watching her walk away while humming merrily, a rather discomforting thought came to him. One of these days he was going to take one of her threats seriously, and then where would the world be? Meanwhile, Ayako seemed to be stuck on something herself.

"Uh, Shirou? Doesn't she have classes right about now?"

Leave it to her to ask a question that would detract his current line of thought onto something he'd purposely been ignoring. Slinging the metal scrap over his own shoulder he sighed. "Don't ask."

* * *

"Well, I think I might be stuck on this one. Any ideas you guys?"

He couldn't help but chuckle at the silence that was his answer. It said quite a bit about his psyche that he was currently asking mere _toys_ for advice.

Before him were laid out several of his model ships, currently in a made-up formation tackling an imaginary scenario. He'd long since covered all the historic battles he could come across, and by this point he merely entertained himself with various fictional circumstances. Normally, he wasn't one for such pointless distractions, but on nights such as this he found the practice helped him to maintain his focus.

' _Not that it does me much good if I can't even do the basics in the first place.'_

Perseverance can only take you so far. To say that he'd made it this far while only seeing as little progress as he had in his magic already spoke volumes of his discipline. By this point he clearly understood he was doing something wrong, yet regardless of his many attempts he couldn't figure out what.

Grunting, he leaned forward to put his head in his arms. If he couldn't even do this much, then what did the rest matter anyway? Those were the kind of traitorous thoughts he couldn't let himself sink to. A hero didn't lose his resolve like that, and in truth he had no intentions of ever leaving this path, but at times like this that destination certainly seemed a bit far.

He looked over at the spot reserved in his shed where a series of mechanical odds and ends sat, countless unfinished pet projects a certain eccentric guardian had given him over the years. He often used them for practice, and by this point it was likely only the trained eye of fellow magus who stood a chance at pointing out the several fakes that lay amongst them. A useless skill, but to a less-than-amateur such as himself they were the evidence that proved his existence as a magus, disregarding how very small it may have been.

Looking around at his 'workshop', the restless feeling he'd been experiencing lately once more assaulted him, and as usual he let out a deep breath while clenching his fists. The past couple days had been… hard for him, putting it mildly. Everything he did felt wrong, and despite his attempts otherwise he couldn't figure out what that meant. Standing up, he walked over to the bookcase where he typically left all of his models for storage, and there on top was a smooth metal cylinder.

Oddly enough, it seemed to be the only thing that could calm him, as short term as it was.

It had been amongst some junk Fuji-nee had given him in an attempt to help him fix Raiga's bike some months ago. Of course it had all proved to be about as useless as he expected, but there did end up being something amongst it that had caught his eye. To most it was nothing more than ordinary metal, but for someone with specialized skills such as Shirou's it was a bit more than that.

For lack of a better term, the material was 'perfect'. On a magical level, that is. Try as he might, there were no faults in its manufacture, nothing his spotty skill in reinforcement could improve upon it in any way. That wasn't something he had ever encountered before, yet he had no clue as to what it meant. Despite his curiosity however he'd never really taken the time to look any further than its surface. Why was that?

It wasn't anything more than a passing thought, an idle curiosity. Something he simply did because he'd never tried it before. Nothing was supposed to come it…

…and yet something _did_.

Though he considered himself a failure of a magus, there was one skill of his that had progressed by leaps and bounds. These days structural analysis came as easily to him as breathing, and he'd extended his realm of influence to the point he could examine the entire layout of his school while idly passing time in class. Human bodies lay outside his capabilities, but he could at least locate someone at the drop of a dime. Yet more so than his range, it was the depth of the skill he acquired that he felt proud of.

Taking a seat in his usual spot, Shirou laid out the item in his hand in front of him. Holding his hands out to both ends of the steel rod, he calmed his breathing as he extended his perception to a realm unseen by human eyes.

Forgoing initial analysis, concentrating to determine basic composition…

Almost immediately he encountered something he'd never felt before, like there was a second consciousness pushing up against his own. It was deep, incredibly so, but whatever it was it was far more complex than just simple steel. Reaching out with his senses he dove deeper until he was brushing up against it, an attempt to figure out what it was before giving it a gentle pull.

Then to his alarm the thing pulled _back_.

Like his entire body was suddenly immersed in boiling water, his state of being was suddenly enveloped by a severe heat. It was similar to the pain he experience at times when crafting his magic circuit, only this time it was multiplied ten-fold. All attempts to retreat failed, and for the second time in his life Shirou was met with the realization he was going to die here. Was this what his father meant when he'd warned him of the dangers of overextending himself?

Resigning himself to his fate, to the consequences of his own stupidity, Shirou found after his initial concerns he was oddly calm regarding the whole matter. He felt a tinge of regret at the unnecessary sorrow his death would bring to Fuji-nee and Ayako, and more importantly that he'd never been able to accomplish his father's ideal, but after all that the only thing remaining was a cold indifference.

However, it wasn't his time just yet.

Like he was swimming with muscles he'd never even known existed, let alone used, he felt painfully overextended. Still, that same discomfort was also an indicator he was still alive, and he embraced that sensation. Too exhausted to even do something as simple as open his eyes, he sat there in the cool of the early-spring air, struggling to stay awake.

Through that he noticed an intense pain flare from his back stretching all the way to the end of his right arm, and soon enough he found that his battle with the encroaching darkness was a losing one. Falling to his back as his consciousness begin to drift in and out, his breath heavy from his over-exertion, a soft feminine voice chose that moment to gently caress his ears.

"Aircraft carrier Kaga, reporting for duty. What are your orders, Admiral?"

Strange, instead of alarm he knew he should have been feeling, for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling this was all so… incredibly nostalgic.

* * *

End: First and foremost, I apologize for the frequent and seemingly uneventful timeskips you see in this chapter. That should hopefully be it for this story, at least for a while, but it seemed like the best way to set up and explain the necessary changes to Shirou's character. Hopefully it all came off as natural as I was aiming for.

I actually have no idea where the thought of a KanColle crossover came from. Played a few hours of the game at best, though I certainly can't understand its massive popularity, and the anime a friend introduced me to (or tried to anyway) seemed mediocre at best. Guess it was just the concept I guess. I've always been a bit of fanboy of WWII themes.

Eh, what can you do? My muse will what it wills I guess.

On that note: For obvious reasons I won't be including every girl in the series, so if you have any recommendations of those you'd like to see joining Shirou's fleet, let me know. I won't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do.


	2. That Which Lies Within

A/N: If any of you guys know a good beta who'd be willing to volunteer for this fic, send me a PM. With that said, massive chapter coming at you:

* * *

 **An Ocean's Sword  
** **Chapter 2  
** **Enlistment (II) – That Which Lies Within**

–––––

 _While the Fourth Holy Grail War came to its burning conclusion, as Angra Mainyu found entrance into the world even for a short time and wrought destruction that would be felt well into the next decade, from beneath the ice caps of the Antarctic something… else stirred from its sleep._

 _With a noise incomprehensible to human ears, it groaned in irritation. It seemed even now the curse of its previous failure was still engraved into its side, and so until the day of its recovery it slept, or at least that had been its intention. It seemed that something was rising on the other side of this planet, on a small landmass to the northeast. Whatever it was, it held a potential that was… enticing._

 _If it could consume such a thing, then not only could it increase the speed of its recovery, but its power would be even greater than it had been before. Nothing would be capable of standing in its way. At one point there had been that insignificant creature, that_ woman _, the one who had dared to believe her will strong enough to subjugate its own. The one who could command the water that was its domain as if it were her own._

 _But she was dead, corrupted and consumed within its maw like so many others, along with all of those fools who had chosen to align themselves with her. They were no longer a concern, and with them also passed humanity's chances of survival in the coming hour of judgement. Like the many before it, this world and its inhabitants would be consumed._

 _There was of course the risk that came in exposing itself if it chased after this course, but in light of what it could gain from this its concern was unnecessary. Mankind had forgotten, the history of their battle lost as man attempted to hide that which they could not understand. It seemed there was an organization amongst them devoted to keeping events of such otherworldly nature secret, and that suited its purposes just fine. Ignorance might blind them, but it would not save them._

 _Before it could do anything more however the presence vanished, disappearing as quickly as it had come. For a brief moment it panicked, concerned that a similar creature to itself may have gotten to such potential first. It calmed itself though, when upon further examination it realized that such an existence had simply slipped into a state of hibernation, similar to its own only moments before._

 _It grew curious as to what had happened, and before long its nest lay distantly behind it as it traveled to warmer waters. Within a few weeks it rested only a few hundred miles off the shores of the island-nation, and through its scouts the situation became apparent._

 _It was the results of a ritual of some kind, somewhat similar to the one that had brought itself to this world, but something had gone wrong. Now the potential of such power lay dormant, and it determined it would be several years until it appeared again. No matter, such influence would be worth the wait._

 _In the meantime it would prepare, creating a base of operations from which it could launch its legions as well as lick its wounds. Now it simply needed to decide which raiment it would use as an expression of its will. If nothing else, the toys of these humans – regardless from which world they originated – had always served as a suitable amusement to turn against them. Now then…_

 _Hm?_

 _Struck by curiosity as it came across something buried beneath the seabed, it took a moment to observe the metal structure covered by rust and growing sea life. It was a sad decrepit thing, but for some reason it felt unusual pity for the forgotten wreck. It was almost as if… luminescent eyes opened wide in surprise._

 _Yes, it could work with this._

 _Thinking so, it got to work, biding its time just as it always had. The beast hungered, but like any good predator, it understood the value in waiting before the hunt._

* * *

"What was that thing?"

Startled awake from his strange nightmare, Shirou muttered such words as he shivered at the alien feelings he'd experienced, ones that even now continued to persist. He remembered strength, arrogance, insatiable _hunger_. It was like a suffocating weight had suddenly been wrapped around his throat. For the first time in his life since the fire, Shirou realized that he'd felt fear, and that shook something at his very core.

"That's what awaits us, both you and I, Little One."

He jumped to his feet at the voice that surprised him, before he stopped cold as he realized he wasn't in his tool shed anymore. In fact, he was pretty certain he wasn't even in same _world_ anymore. Wherever it was, it wasn't a landscape he recognized, yet at the same time for some reason he felt more at home here than he had anywhere else. That is to say, for possibly the first time, Shirou felt like he belonged. Burnt dusk patterned the skies, a natural canvas of red and gold, while in contrast to that a perfect reflection of that same sky spread out in all directions from beneath his feet.

In wonder he took a step forward, only to stop yet again as a ripple spread outward from his foot, distorting the reflection beneath him. His eyes – already large with wonder – opened wide at the realization that it wasn't the image of a mirror he was seeing, but the calm surface of an endless sea. Normally, anyone else might have begun panicking at such a straightforward rejection of physics.

Instead, was it strange that he merely found himself overwhelmed by the beauty of such a place?

"Considering it's your own soul you see before you, I would certainly hope not."

Once more reminded of what had startled him in the first place, Shirou looked behind him, and there on what appeared to be a small island he saw a young girl.

Radiant white hair. Soft steel-colored eyes. The dress she was wearing a shade that matched her hair and was inscribed with odd metallic grey sigils, pooling out in all directions from where she sat. Her appearance was just as much captivating as it was ephemeral, like she would fade the moment in which he blinked. What truly caught him off-guard though was what she had caressed in her arms, an object that left him more awestruck than even the girl herself.

It was a scabbard crafted out of blue and gold, simple in appearance, yet for some reason its craft lay outside his understanding. Still, regardless of the feeling he was looking at something that couldn't exist… for some reason it felt like he was reuniting with an old friend. Certainly a contrast of emotions if there'd ever been one.

"What… what is that?" Standing before a strange girl in an even stranger world. That was the thing he had to know first.

"An object of great importance, one that will bring great trial into your future, yet at the same time the means by which you'll undoubtedly save us all." Though her voice matched her appearance, high pitched and energetic, there was also something far older there. That, as well as something that lay far beyond anything human.

"Um, what?" More importantly, was she going to give him any straight answers?

"I apologize, but the answer to that question isn't something I can give. You'll have to figure it out yourself one day, Little One. All you need to understand right now is that this is the second time this item has saved your life. Tread carefully, for I don't think you'll always be so lucky."

"Uh huh." Apparently not. Well, this was going to grow old quickly…

He blinked, suddenly finding himself standing next to the girl with no idea how he'd gotten there. He was left a bit disorientated, but surprisingly lacked any of the alarm he knew he should've felt. For some reason it felt like something he shouldn't question while in this place. He was a lot more concerned about where 'here' was.

"More importantly, it's good to finally meet, Shirou. We have much to discuss, and I can't be sure when such an opportunity may present itself again. First, is there anything you wish to discuss, Little One?"

"Why do call me that?" It was an odd place to start sure, but it felt even odder to be called such a thing by one who looked so much younger than him, and even more so that she made it sound strangely fitting. That she herself wasn't questioning any of this, had they met before?

"Of all the things…" In response her grey eyes took a faraway look, heavy with nostalgia. "It's because when I first came upon you, you were so incredibly small, not only in body but of mind and spirit too. When I first touched you I feared that you'd break in my arms, but you didn't, and since then you've only grown. I can sense the potential within you, the greatness of the role you have yet to realize or grow into. I call you that because I feel it's the closest thing in your language that allows me to express the affection I've developed since then. Is this love, I wonder?"

By this point, even Shirou was left nothing more than a blushing wreck of a teenager. Had she just…

"Hoh? So the boy can react to such teasing after all, huh?" She giggled, and if anything her smile seemed to become that much more sincere. "Thank goodness. The origin I've passed to you would be lost on one incapable of frustration or embarrassment, for the same would hold true for courage or affection."

"Origin…? What are you talking about?"

"As I said before, a great trial awaits us, Shirou. Something which no single man could ever hope to conquer on his own. The legions under that enemy – that Leviathan – number far too greatly, while its realm of influence spreads too far. I've pondered by what means to counter such a thing, and as it turned out, it was you who gave me the answer."

What she was suggesting… there was something in her eyes that told him doubt wasn't an option here. It gave him the impression he was dealing with something so much bigger than himself, more specifically the forces that lay beyond, the things mankind had no business dealing with for risk of their sanity. Perhaps that epithet she had given him was more fitting than he realized.

"Who… _what_ are you? Some kind of god?"

"Perhaps. The question of my own origins is one I've pondered more than once." She frowned, clearly frustrated by something he couldn't see. "Though the era in history mankind has labeled the Age of Gods ended long ago, the Divine Spirits of that period retreating to their individual spheres, such knowledge is second-hand to me. For reasons I can't quite understand, my first memories are of the moment we met shortly before finding myself in this place, my mission the only thing left behind."

"After that, I recall I wandered this place, lost as to my purpose or who I was, until the day I found this one, and by doing so coming to the knowledge of the significance of this place." She paused for a moment to again embrace the sheath in her arms, like a mother would her newborn child. "While I have no idea what became of its true master, it's chosen to bond with you, bestowing upon you a gift – an element – likely to never be seen again amongst men until the end of time."

…and there she went again, once more speaking in those vague and indirect terms she seemed to be fond of.

If the slight quirk of her lips was anything to go by, it was clear she noticed his uncertainty. "Perhaps it'd be best for you to see the answer I found for yourself. I'll admit, it's not bad for your first acquisition. She's a good girl, cold but honest. Take care of her, and I'm sure she'll stay by your side throughout the coming days."

He looked to where she motioned with her chin, to the other side of the small island they were standing on. What he saw was a single sword standing erected there, though he found its design to be rather unusual. It was oddly narrow, and he'd never seen such a drill-like form in a sword before. It was almost like it was meant to be… flown rather than swung.

"That's because it's not a sword, it's an arrow, though it looks like without her partner she'd be a bit difficult to use. An arrow isn't much without her bow, after all."

Was that what it was? It certainly made sense, now that she pointed it out. The… arrow was made of a dark – almost obsidian – metal, and he felt like he could see a shade of blue if he looked at it from just the right angle. In addition, like a thin evergreen it repeatedly curved outwards in a spiral pattern, hinting to the impression there was much more to it than its basic appearance.

A giggle. Turning around he found that the girl had gotten up while he'd been distracted, drawing within arm's length of him with the object from before nowhere to be found. Standing he noticed just how small she really was, the top of her head barely reaching the center of his chest, and he'd be lying if he said such an appearance didn't further the protective instincts he was beginning to foster for this girl. In complete disregard as to her questionable humanity.

He couldn't hold back his own chuckle at her visible frustration as she too seemed to notice their difference in stature, a small frown breaking her features again – though this one was more akin to a pout – when she reached up to barely touch his chin. Though a bit confused as to her intentions, in his amusement he took a moment to rub her head like one would a pet, before accommodating her by taking a knee so they were eye to eye.

Then she went and scared the living daylights out of him by taking a seat on that same knee, drawing way too close far too quickly. Ensuring her advantage in his shock, her hand affectionately pressed against his cheek, and when the hell had she begun to blush like a love-struck schoolgirl?! Then as if to lay the finishing blow atop the growing levels of sexually awkward, the expression on that face – that was suddenly drawing even _closer_ – most certainly did _not_ belong to that of a little girl.

Of course, when she grabbed his arm and started moving it was when he drew the line, _especially_ when he caught on to where she was directing him. Making an uncharacteristically effeminate noise, Shirou learned that day just how far he could throw himself backwards while seated, the mirror images of the horizon spinning as he flipped giving him no small amount of vertigo.

Accounting for his situation the moment his head stopped spinning faster than Fuji-nee at an all-you-can-eat, he found that the smirk on her lips – one he was getting the feeling he'd better grow used to – made it abundantly clear the entire thing had been an act. He'd just been made someone's doormat again, hadn't he?

"Getting a bit full of ourselves, are we?" That would be a yes then.

Eventually, after pulling himself together, he somehow found her seated comfortably across his lap anyway. Had he refused? Absolutely. Did she do so regardless? Pretty much. Why hadn't he just booted her off and gotten back on his feet? Reasons. More specifically?

" _Little One, truthfully, could we stay like this for just a little bit? It's been… quite a while since the last time I could touch someone. Even something as simple as this is an experience I never thought I'd have again."_

Saying such a thing as her voice softened, her confident smile faltering for a moment, he realized he didn't stand anything of a chance. That was before you even took account of the way she was leaning to press her side against his chest, looking up at him with that 'kicked puppy' expression all girls seemed to master in one way or another. He'd be a worse person to say no in the face of such a thing, even if it did leave him with the feeling he'd just lost something precious.

"Now as I was getting to before that… interruption." The amount of effort it took not to deadpan at that absurd understatement… "Those girls are the answer I came to. While they were crafted by the hands of man, they passed into the ether as daughters of the sea. That places them in my domain, or at least what remains of it. It surprised even me though, how simple matters were after that. All that was needed was a connection between you and them, and then this place," she held out an arm in indication of their surroundings, "handled the rest."

"Hold that thought for a moment." At some point he'd found his gaze drifting towards an eternal horizon. "You've mentioned it a couple times now, but what are you talking about? What girls? What answer?"

"Ah, it seems I got ahead of myself. Shirou," her eyes hardened, the steel in her voice drawing his attention to meet eyes with her once more, "what would you say, if I told you that the warships you adore so much possibly embody the word 'she' more than you could ever imagine?"

"Wait… are you saying that…?"

"Congratulations, Little One. Thanks to you, those _girls_ will have the chance to sail the open seas once more."

For once, the concept of what she was implying wasn't lost on him. He'd never seen any warships in person, his experience ending with those models of his and perhaps some historical records at most. On top of that until Ayako he'd grown up with no friends to speak of, and so it had come rather naturally for his childish mind to begin attaching personalities to the warships of old.

Though he struggled with the idea, it surprised him that once again at no point did he think to doubt her words. In fact, this time it felt more like she was voicing something that he already knew.

"Why girls though? Couldn't you have used something else? Reanimate the warships themselves maybe?" Why was it he didn't like the thought of where this conversation was going…?

"Because that enemy's greatest weapon is its capability to turn its foes against each other. I believe one of your modern day terms for such a thing would be indoctrination. Humans, animals, weapons, nothing is safe from its influence. In reality that thing is not a creature of this world, but a living corruption on all its surroundings. Without a means to avoid that our fight would end the moment our enemy entered the playing field itself."

"Fortunately, you possess the answer to such a dilemma within yourself, in more ways than one. There's a reason humans store their weapons in armories when they aren't in use. To provide safety as much as prevent theft. I'll spare you the details, but know that you possess the means to stave off that creature's intent to consume, and I believe through a strong emotional bond that same characteristic can be passed onto those girls. This is where I'd like to say trust would be enough of a factor, but I fear the emotions from such a bond would be too conservative."

"To put it bluntly, you Little One, must ensure that those girls fall in love with you."

…eh?

"Eh?"

You know, he was learning a whole list of sounds he never knew the human voice could recreate before today. Why did he get the impression he'd just heard something really stupid?

"I realize such a thing might be difficult to swallow. I'm asking you to give your heart to these girls, something I know humans don't take lightly, with the only thing I can tell you being that they're spirits crafted from the faith and belief of this country's people with their personalities shaped by the men that served with them. If there's anything I've said you've come to question however, let me say one thing: you now have a perception of what it is we face. Do you think that you, as a son of man, could reason with such a monster?"

"I…" He recalled that dream he had awoken from earlier, of an intelligence so foreign and primal to his own. A thing that bore nothing but ill intent for everything but itself. The answer to such a question was obvious. "No, not at all."

"Then you have your answer."

Looking down at her face which had never broken eye contact with him, the worse part of it all – at least with regards to the parts he could understand – was that what she was saying made _sense_. Even if he wanted to argue, he wouldn't have a clue where to start, so in the end all he could do was save his insecurities for later. The least he could do now was understand the full situation.

"Why do you know so much about this… whatever it is?"

It became apparent that was the wrong question to ask. Her expression became hard, difficult to read, and he realized that was because this was the first time in their conversation she was actually _hurt_. "At this time such an answer isn't one I'm prepared to give, but just know that it and I are… intimately connected. Anything else you would rather know?"

As curious as that vague response made him, it would've been harder for him to pursue the topic to be honest. "What started all of this?"

His memories before he found himself here were fragmented. He remembered that he'd been practicing his magecraft, and that he'd been faced with the same frustrations as usual. Out of boredom he'd grabbed the usual piece of Fuji-nee's junk that had been the subject of his curiosity over the past months, and…

…and then what happened?

"Ah, I'll admit that the blame for that rests upon me as well. While I may be incapable of physically leaving this place, that monster isn't the only thing with an influence with which it can reach out to others. It certainly wasn't easy, but I may have given an idea to that guardian of yours to take a different course from the usual flea market she visits every month or so. From there she managed to shake me off and take things into her own hands, yet through an act of coincidence – or perhaps that woman's luck is simply that absurd – she still grabbed the very thing I was interested in."

Well, that certainly explained all the junk that was building up in his shed. So that's where she gets it…

"Shirou, are you familiar at all with spirits?"

"You mentioned them already, right? It's what these girls are? Sorry, when it comes to magical stuff like this, my dad never taught me much else other than the basics. Sometimes I think he never wanted me to be a magus."

To that comment she seemed a bit troubled, muttering something under her breath he didn't quite catch.

"What was that?"

"Hm? No, it's nothing. More importantly, before you found yourself here you were working with a catalyst, right?"

"Is that what it… and yeah, I have no idea what that is." However, it came back to him then, the memories of what he'd been doing – or rather, trying to do – before he had found himself here. He also remember the tremendous pain he'd brought to himself in the experience. He had almost died there, hadn't he? What had caused such a thing?

"It's an object primarily used in ceremonies to communicate with planes parallel to this one, a previous possession cherished by the selected spirit one wishes to contact. This situation was a bit different however, as rather than a trinket, this catalyst served as a vessel. Using your magic signature I bridged the gap between you two, and in the process of that I was also able to summon you here, to tell you of the events that have now been set in motion."

Was it wrong that he was bothered by the idea he'd learned more about magic in the last five minutes than in all the years he'd studied with his father? "How do you know all this?"

Really, wasn't that the most important question? This girl was behaving like one of those convenient plot devices from one of Fuji-nee's shows, the kind that showed up because the authors were too lazy to explain things in a more creative manner. There had to be more to it than that. Life wasn't such a simple matter of conveniences, there was always a price.

"As I said before, while my memories concerning any details of my existence before finding myself here are gone, the knowledge is still there. What I know above all, is the threat our enemy poses, and the destruction that awaits if we fail. Even if I can't remember, I can tell you this isn't the first or even second time I've fought. I imagine I've learned all that I could in those attempts."

He took a moment to contemplate that, leaning back on his hands to once more admire the crimson sky above their heads. Just how long had this girl been fighting this secret war by herself or…? No, the more appropriate question would probably be what she'd sacrificed in that time. This couldn't have possibly been the first time she tried gathering allies, but the fact she was currently alone testified enough as to what their fate had been.

By this point there was only one other thing he wanted to know: Why him?

"Am I really all that special?" He certainly didn't think so.

"To be honest, I'd be lying to say you are." That… hurt more than he'd expected. "Your current capability to fight is mediocre, and your magical talent is so below that of an amateur's it's not even worth mentioning, but there's something I need to emphasize to you Shirou. I don't _want_ a fighter. Your personality, that resolve you have of forged steel in the face of insurmountable odds, is an incredibly decreasing trait in this world. That, more than anything, is the strength needed to fight such a Leviathan."

"…and I've chosen to preserve the last of my Authority with such a strength."

She stopped then, shifting from her place in his lap to stare at something in the distant sky. Quietly he heard her mutter, "Our time is running out. The prana maintaining this place has almost run dry, and when it does so this world will cease to exist, though I hope it won't be the last you see of it. Little One, before that happens, there's one final matter we still have yet to discuss."

"I apologize if it feels like I'm forcing you into this decision. Of all the things I wish I could promise you, pain is the only thing I can guarantee. If this isn't what you want, if I've made the wrong assumptions, then know the contract between us has yet to be fulfilled. The same conditions stand for those girls. Know that if you reject this, without your presence to sustain her that girl I've forced into your arms will disappear by morning, and all of this will be like it never happened."

"As for the others, as spirits these fleetgirls – these kanmusu – are still rather young, and so it would only be through your own power and the bond I've placed between you that they'd ever see the light of day. Shirou, I can't force you to do this, but will you?"

She removed herself from her position in his lap, kneeling so that they were eye-to-eye as she placed both her hands against his cheeks. "Are you willing to stake your life on the line on the words of someone you've just met, and form a contract with me?"

She was guilt tripping him, she had to be. If she knew even half as much as she claimed to there was no way she didn't know of his ideal. Even he wasn't oblivious to the manner in which she was manipulating him, but in the end did any of that really matter? Everything that this girl was saying, couldn't it also be interpreted that she was simply asking him to save her? To save these fleetgirls as she called them? Wasn't that all that mattered?

"You know I never asked, but… What do I call you?"

That seemed to catch her off guard, her mouth open in surprise at the suddenly personal question. Then she smiled. She knew him enough to garner from such a question what his answer was. "For now, you can call me Tia. It's nice to meet you, Shirou."

"Likewise." He reached out to pet her head, and this time she seemed to allow it, going so far as to even lean into it like a kitten. He could almost swear he heard her _purring_. "You really are something, you know that? To ask such things of me in our first meeting, to romance girls I'm then supposed to fight with. There's no way I could agree to manipulate someone's emotions like that, but… I don't think I can say no either. I'll trust you."

She shrugged. "That will have to do, I suppose. Thank you, Shirou."

Then she kissed him.

* * *

The first thought that actually came to Shirou's mind as he awoke wasn't so much a reflection as it was a feeling. That, and probably the best interpretation of an anguished scream he'd ever given. With his senses returned pain lit up from what felt like his nervous system in its entirety, and it was blinding enough that it took a moment for him to think of anything coherent.

What just happened? He could recall a beautiful sunset, an endless sea, and… a girl? Why did that all feel so important, and why was he having difficulty recalling anything further? Searching the haze within his mind revealed nothing but bits and pieces, but eventually he had enough to put together a picture, of…

…they were so soft.

With that, the memories of that strange world and a girl even stranger came back to him, but why had that been the part he remembered?!

He shelved that question before he got any further on that dangerous path. Getting a feel for his surroundings, he found he was still resting on the hard cement floor of his shed, or… was he? His head certainly felt rather comfortable for someone who'd been lying here for who knows how long. In fact, for someone in such pain it even felt nice enough that it took far more discipline than it should have just to stay awake.

A pillow?

Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was a pair of hazel starring back into his own. Her expression was calm, completely neutral, but the manner in which she was currently running her fingers through his hair betrayed her gentle nature. Her dark hair was pulled to her left into a side-ponytail that ended atop her shoulder, and was she wearing an archer's muneate?

The less said of the size of that it was covering, the better. This probably wasn't the best time for his head to take a jump in the gutter.

Though, it certainly didn't help matters that the moonlight was entering from the door at such an angle as to highlight her background. Were these beautiful women suddenly to be the standard in his life? He groaned inwardly, glad Ayako wasn't here to beat such an idea out of him. The girl had something of a sixth sense whenever he had inappropriate thoughts.

It was fortunate he usually had Shinji to serve as his scape goat in such situations. Between the two of them, he was faster.

Of course, this was all more or less his best laid attempt at ignoring the elephant in the room. Was he… was he resting on her lap? How long had they been like this, and why wasn't he freaking out about such a thing like he normally would? Under his usual circumstances, he would've felt like blaming Fuji-nee for such a thing, but for some reason this time around the reason felt like it was much deeper than that.

"Are you alright, Admiral?" As it was, her voice matched her appearance, a quiet monotone that revealed nothing of her emotions. Fortunately, the tension that was suddenly present in her hands gave her away.

This was one of them, wasn't it? One of those girls Tia had spoken of, the ones he was apparently supposed to… He blushed, groaning inwardly as the realization of what he'd agreed to began to sink in. He was supposed to get such a girl to fall for him? Seriously? And not just her, but also others like her? Even this girl was so laughably out of his league it was pathetic.

"Ah." Somehow despite his musings he still managed to nod, surprised at his own reluctance to leave his position as he sat up. "Thanks for… taking care of me I guess."

"Of course. We'll be working together from now on after all." A quick bow of her head. "My best regards."

Tia was right, she really was an honest girl at heart.

Unfortunately, any further discussion they may have had was cut off as he suddenly hissed, grasping his right hand with his left as if he'd just burnt it on the stove. He'd experienced something like this just before he'd passed out, hadn't he? This burning sensation that extended across his arm. Taking a look at it he… Well, that was certainly new.

There on the back of his hand was a mark of some sort, a design of indecipherable meaning that even now glowed dully in the dark of early morning. Was this the sign of the contract that now existed between him and Tia?

"What is that?" Considering the act he'd just put on, it was hardly a question as to where her curiosity came from.

"Uh, I'm not sure myself. A symbol of our partnership maybe?"

He'd intended to refer to himself and Tia, but he chuckled as the girl was suddenly twisting to look at her arms, as if expected the same sigil to be hidden on herself somewhere.

…then she started to lift the blue hakama she was wearing, and all his amusement suffered a swift and painful execution.

He put a stop to _that_ immediately, and though her expression never changed, he still felt like the bad guy at the slight dejection he saw in her shoulders when her search yielded nothing. Yet after his meeting with the child-looking entity, the last thing he needed was _another_ reason to take a cold shower at the first opportunity that presented itself.

It'd probably be best he never repeated that out loud.

"Listen, um…" As embarrassing as it was to admit, it was now he recognized he'd never gotten this girl's name. Confused at his pause, she tilted her head with the cuteness of a doll, before she seemed to discern his blunder on her own.

"Admiral, aircraft carrier Kaga, at your service. Thank you, for the opportunity to present myself to you at last. I've been waiting." A small smile graced her lips, almost indistinguishable, but the warmth in her eyes bridged the gap in communicating the strength of her emotions.

And yet… what was with this familiarity he felt? This time, he held onto that feeling, and the thought that immediately came to him left Shirou cold at the implications. What she just said – and more importantly the manner in which she'd said it – it felt like she was implying this wasn't their first meeting, like they'd known each other for much longer than these last few minutes. It was almost as if…

…almost as if she'd been with him since the day Fuji-nee had tossed him that sack of parts all those months ago.

Other realizations came afterwards with quick succession, recollections and memories of the time that had passed since then. Of the little changes that had started to appear in his mannerisms since then, gradual and unnoticeable since, but so obvious now in hindsight.

The way in which he'd come to treat what shouldn't have been anything more than scrap metal with the same level of care and respect he did those models of his, the only possessions he had of any meaningful worth to him. It was no different when it came to the times he used it to practice his magic either, as if going beyond a certain point would be a breach of privacy. As ridiculous as it was, he'd even begun to speak aloud when he was alone at times, hadn't he? As if his fantasy wars were suddenly in the presence of an audience.

It disturbed him – greatly – to grasp that and the series of other changes that couldn't have been mere coincidence. He'd had an impression as to what she really was this entire time, hadn't he? Was that the reason he was so surprisingly calm in all of this? Their interactions right now even felt less like those of two people meeting for the first time, and rather more like that of two friends reuniting after a long period of separation.

Just how deep was the bond between him and Tia that he'd never taken notice of this before, that he played it all off naturally in his head, never raising a single question? Even now his shock was with regards to that which wasn't, to the emotions and fears he knew he should be overcome with and yet for some reason weren't there to be found. Admittedly, he'd never been the most perceptive guy, but one of the reasons he'd taken an interest in tactics was to change that.

What had happened to him?

"Admiral?"

The alarm wasn't easy to find in her voice, but it was there. At some point while he'd lost focus, a cold sweat had broken out on his forehead and he found that his vision was going hazy. Her concern managed to bring him back, providing an anchor as he entrusted himself to the hand that had placed itself atop his own.

Whatever all of this was, whether he was caught in a grand series of manipulations or not, Kaga had no part in it larger than his own. He didn't yet understand what it was that connected her and himself, the bond Tia had mentioned that was responsible for bringing Kaga into existence in the first place, but he'd never gotten the sense she carried ulterior motives. Regardless of what her intentions were, he remembered he'd chosen to place that same trust in Tia as well, a decision now apparently branded on him for all to see.

If he'd agreed to be a leader to these girls – an admiral, as Kaga had named him – then it was about time he started acting the part. The most he could probably do, was overlook these conspiracy theories of his, and approach things one step at a time.

Recovered by this point he stood, holding his hand out to the archer as he did so. "Thanks Kaga, I think I'll be fine. Haven't eaten much today. Guess I should eat something before going to bed. I know it's a bit late, but would you like anything?"

Perhaps it wouldn't mean much in light of everything before him, but it was at least a start.

* * *

The next morning found Shirou groaning as he woke to the discovery that the pain from the night before still persisted as an irritable soreness. It probably hadn't been his best idea to cook after everything else that had happened last night either, but never in his imagination had he thought he'd need to prepare so much for only two people. It looked like Fuji-nee's title as resident heavy eater wasn't only at risk, but had been usurped with no prior warning. So had his fridge for that matter, but he'd worry about that later.

Fortunately, nothing of particular note had happened after their late night meal. He'd given Kaga a brief tour, pointed her in the direction of the nearest vacant bedroom, and then found he'd had just enough strength to make it to his own bed before passing out. It was a good thing it was a Sunday, Shirou wasn't normally one to sleep in late, but he figured after everything he'd earned a little more rest.

Thinking that, he rolled over, snuggling up to the comfortably warm weight currently lying against his side. A soft moan was there to greet his actions.

Wait. What?

With his heart now pounding far too loudly in his ears, Shirou found that sleep was quite suddenly the furthest thing away in his mind. Something was in his bed with him. Something that had most definitely _not_ been there the night before. Something that was remarkably soft and made tiny noises when you squeezed it.

Yeah, even he wasn't dense enough not to understand he was purposely ignoring the obvious by this point. Taking a moment to compose himself and to calm his breathing, he grabbed the edge of his blanket, lifting it with probably far more strength than was necessary.

"…"

…Shirou paused as his mind hit a blue screen of death and reboot.

The body of a small girl lay there, with long white hair wrapped around a porcelain waist, and the beginnings of a Cheshire grin on her lips as her eyes half-opened in the morning light. One of her arms had wrapped around his chest, and he found that even if he tried to move it the task would've proved futile. The girl had a strength to her that most definitely didn't belong to one of her size.

Oh, and did he mention she was also naked? Probably should've started with that.

Thankfully she was currently resting on her chest, the blanket in his hand preventing him from seeing anything else that'd leave him with the desire to turn himself in to the nearest police station. A small mercy if there ever was one.

"Mh? Oh, Shirou. Did you finally wake up?"

And why did he have the premonition this was going to become some kind of regular occurrence?!

"Um, Tia?" He was actually impressed with himself at the fact his voice hadn't cracked. "Could you please explain to me why this yobai development is suddenly happening?"

"…because Shirou's the yamato nadeshiko in this relationship?"

"Why are you framing it like a question?!" he yelled, throwing the blanket back on top of her.

"Wah!" Taking advantage of her surprise, he rolled out and away from her grip into one of the corners of his room. His time with Fuji-nee had given him more than enough experience when it came to clingy sleepers.

He sighed, surprised with how quickly he was growing used to these quirks of hers, almost as if… he was reminded of his concerns from the previous evening. Though he'd already made the choice not to pursue the matter, there was one question he needed to straighten with her immediately.

"Tia, we're partners now, right? We can trust our backs to each other?"

Standing from where he'd left her, this time at least using the blanket as a means to hide her decency, he noticed that her expression had lost all its previous amusement. "Shirou, I don't know where this question is coming from, but let me be clear on this. As of this moment my existence is entirely reliant upon you, our contract the only thing sustaining me. I can't afford _not_ to trust you."

Her answer brought him much more relief than he'd expected, a tension visibly lifted from his shoulders, but with that problem solved another came to bear. Wait a minute. How? "Tia, how is it that you're here right now, in my room, in reality? I thought you…"

A grin touched her lips, one honest and full, and he realized this was the first time he'd actually seen her smile without an undertone of sadness. "Apparently, our contract had consequences even I overlooked. I'm not sure if this was a natural effect or perhaps the results of a subconscious desire on your part, but I awoke this morning finding myself just as surprised as you were, though for entirely different reasons."

She laughed, a joyful and innocent thing that actually matched her appearance. "I'd actually forgotten what it was like to feel so alive. My best guess is that some variant of the same bond I placed between you and the kanmusu has connected us through our contract as well. The cost seems to be that I'm virtually powerless as of now, but I find it incredibly difficult to care, as I imagine while your magical progress grows so too will my own accompany it."

"Magic? But… didn't you say I had no potential in that regard?"

The smile disappeared, Tia's expression becoming one of irritation. "Little One, I said nothing of the sort. Your _current_ abilities may be lacking, but I've made no such connotations to your _potential_. You simply haven't gained the proper foundations yet, a problem you've already begun to resolve through your bond with that carrier."

"Of course, the manner in which you were turning your own _nerves_ into a magic circuit might also have been a problem. I feel the need to ask: Shirou, do you have a death wish? Because if you do, I'll volunteer to beat such a thing out of your skull immediately. It simply won't do for my partner to be suicidal."

Well, that sure escalated quickly.

As her voice fell low and hostile – and had her eyes suddenly gone red? – Shirou realized that if she'd only been mildly irritated before, she was absolutely furious now. If only he could've understood what she was talking about to figure out _why_.

"I… Tia, what are you going on about? You're not doing much to help me understand the issue here."

"My issue is that I fixed a problem that shouldn't have been a problem to begin with! Little One, have you noticed any unusual symptoms about yourself lately? Perhaps some light-headedness? Hallucinations? Any _mind-numbing_ _pain_? Or maybe just a case of the sniffles?"

Okay, now she _was_ mocking him.

Before he could say anything though she sighed, and like her anger up until that point had all been an illusion, she smiled resignedly at him. Whatever retort it was he'd had prepared died on his lips, retreating as he realized she wasn't angry with him, but disappointed. Had he failed her somehow?

"I apologize, Little One. It's not like there was anything you could have done about the matter to begin with." Wait, so if he wasn't the one she was disappointed in, then who…? "You didn't even know something was wrong, and how could you? You have no mentor, no guidelines, certainly no manuals on the subject. You've gotten as far as you have through sheer will power, and while determination is all well and good, there's a limit to how far you should take such things. I may be incapable of speaking for what your father intended, but I hope for his sake he was the type of man who would've been horrified to know what you've been doing to yourself."

"I'll be clear, if any legitimate mage has ever tried to do what you have, then I'm sure they're both scorned and ridiculed amongst their peers. If not dead for the insult they likely are. Shirou, you already have magical circuits. _Natural ones._ Your practices have you trying to create something within yourself that doesn't naturally occur in mankind, and if you were to fail at any time you'd have suffered a painful and worthless death."

"Fortunately, last night's events forcefully opened that which has been neglected. You're lucky, if it had not been for a certain something bridging the gap for the second you'd run dry, you might not have survived the experience. In short order your circuits will adjust and a trigger will come to mind, but for now let things rest. With that said, how are you doing? Getting accustomed to such a change is likely far from a pleasant experience I imagine."

"I'll manage, but Tia… you're doing a terrific job at giving me mixed signals here." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head apprehensively. She'd just switched moods from angry to disappointed to concerned in the past couple seconds, and by this point he was having a difficult time keeping track of where things stood.

Her laughter did a good job of at least easing his worries. "I apologize. It seems that I too face an experience that'll require some adjustment. Having a body once more has allowed me to reintroduce myself to senses once forgotten, but it seems to have also had an effect on my emotional responses. To summarize what I was trying to get across there: you're an idiot Shirou, but for better or worse I've chosen this path, and that requires that you take care of yourself."

He sighed. It felt like he was being told that a lot more often as of late.

With that said, there was one last matter he needed to address. "I'll admit this is all becoming a bit too much for me to take in. When you described things to me before, I don't know what I was expecting, but when I met Kaga I wasn't expecting her to be so…"

"Human?" she interrupted, a knowing smirk finding itself on her lips.

"Yeah, that. I'm having difficulty in deciding how I'm supposed to approach her. Does she know what she is? Does that scare her? Can she remember anything else from before I summoned her?"

After a pause, he continued, "Can she remember how she _died_?"

"I don't know." A helpless shrug.

"It's just… uh, what was that?" That hadn't been the answer he was expecting.

"Shirou, I think in all of this you've come to misinterpret something. I'm not all-knowing, and I don't have all the answers. My time with you has given me plenty of time to ponder many things, but my range of topics outside of you and my mission are slim and few. In fact, I have to confess that in all of this even I didn't know what the outcome would be. From here on, we're both in uncharted waters. I was almost as surprised as you to that girl's appearance last night."

"I can tell you speculations and my suspicions, but other than that that's all they'll ever be. From here I'm walking into this about as blind as you are, though admittedly a bit more prepared. Aside from that, all I can offer is my advice and a few tools to help with your task. Speaking of which…"

As she paused she removed something from her neck, a chain pendant he'd previously given no attention to. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it, though the ornament hanging from it bore a strange resemblance to the same marking that could be found on the back of his hand: an odd harmony of what appeared to be an anchor inscribed inside a captain's wheel. The meaning of such a thing was clear.

Considering the new title given to him by Kaga, one possibly shared by every shipgirl, such a design choice had likely been intentional.

"Just as the marking on your hand signifies the contract between you and I, consider this to be a representation of your eventual bond with those girls. This is my final gift to you, a small fragment of my Authority that still remains. As I promised, it's yours."

Taking it, he was admittedly a bit disappointed when nothing happened. "What is… what does it do?"

Whatever he'd been expecting as an answer, it certainly wasn't for her to suddenly stick her tongue out at him, the mischievous grin finding its place on her lips doing a fantastic job at erasing the earnest atmosphere the girl had been creating. Raising a fist, she declared, "Consider it the best little wingman you never asked for!"

Pause. "…I don't want to know, do I? Can you even give me a straight answer?" He sighed. "Actually, you know what? By this point I don't even care anymore."

Grinning, she bopped her fist against the side of her head, and like that was some kind of signal her playful façade dropped once more. He was becoming far more familiar with these quick changes of her mood than he felt comfortable with, but he supposed it was probably her way of coping with the reality they both faced. Somehow, he got the impression she wouldn't be the last of such characters he'd be running into.

"In more specific terms? I've spent enough time to understand you have a natural charisma about you Little One – one in particular that draws the attention of the female persuasion – and while your density certainly plays a factor in that, it won't help you here. What you hold is something that I hope will help you one day become fully mindful of the feelings of all those who surround you, though this item's influence itself only draws from the kanmusu."

"In short it's meant to monitor their emotions, keeping you informed on the status of your relationship with them. More importantly, it will actively alert you to any changes, whether that means you've done something to offend them or of course when you do anything to improve the level of affection they hold for you. As to what I mean by that? Well, I think I'll let you figure that part out on your own."

To her proud grin he could see beyond the accessory he held in front of his eyes, Shirou found that the whole thing still felt so surreal to him. It certainly didn't help matters that he was more or less being lectured to by what all appearances was a young girl wearing his blanket as a robe, and he couldn't shake the feeling he'd wake up at any moment and find that he'd fallen asleep in the shed again.

Then Tia went and did something that assured him this most definitely _wasn't_ a dream. At least not one he'd be having. That was the moment in which she turned around and started to stretch, shedding the blanket in the process that up to that point had been the only thing preventing him from seeing…

"What are you doing?!"

…he'd die before he described it.

She paused, and for an instance he swore she gave a look of honest fear over her shoulder. "Shirou, don't tell me you're actually attracted to this little girl's body?!"

"When did I say such a thing?!"

There was a brief minute of awkward silence, before the illusion crumbled as she broke into a sudden fit of giggles. "Well, you seem pretty flustered for someone who isn't getting turned on right now."

"Gck."

"Ah, there you go making those funny sounds again. I really do have the best contractor."

Even as he looked away, obviously with the intent of mocking him she continued the process of bending in unnecessary ways, and somehow he doubted all of those noises she was making were really necessary! However, even Shirou wasn't dense enough not to catch onto the signs by this point. Her actions were too obvious, her reasons clearly beyond anything sexual, and he could've sworn he'd caught a curious gleam or two in her eyes through the entire process.

She was testing him somehow. Now if he could just understand in _what_.

"Now then, as nice as all of this is, I think we'll bring the conference to an end for today. Little One, would you like to take a bath together? I'll let you wash my back~"

"Admiral?"

From his place with his head in his hands, Shirou froze. That new voice had been Kaga's, hadn't it? Trembling, he looked up, and as he suspected the shipgirl stood in the entrance to his room with the door open. He could only guess she'd come to check on him before anything else, as her hair was currently undone from the night before, and she hadn't yet changed out of the spare yukata he'd given her to sleep in.

Thankfully, at some point Tia had wrapped the blanket about herself once more, for the little good that did him. It didn't change the fact it was still easy to see she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

How long had the carrier been standing there? How much of their conversation had she heard?

"Admiral, if I… might ask you a question: What exactly is going on here?"

His response was the most responsible thing he could think of.

He ran.

"If you'll excuse me, breakfast won't make itself!"

Ducking under Kaga's arm, he made a sprint for the kitchen, ignoring the two pairs of eyes he could feel burning a hole into his retreating back. In the end though, it was surprisingly Kaga's whispered reply that did him in.

"Coward."

* * *

"No, absolutely not! Nee-san won't approve of this eroge development!"

"Hah?" It seemed he always needed to reserve a deadpan response for whenever this woman was involved. She was doing that thing again. When she misunderstood the situation and jumped to conclusions.

Despite the rather… uncomfortable start to his day, the rest of his morning preparations had passed in relative peace. Though he understood he may not have handled the situation in his bedroom with necessarily the best care, he trusted Tia to at least come up with a suitable excuse until he could figure out how to properly answer the questions the carrier undoubtedly had.

Unfortunately, in everything that had happened he'd forgotten he didn't have the luxury of living alone…

Her reaction had been… well he didn't want to say it was outside his expectations, but she really did make it a habit of acting outside of those on a regular basis. Now he found himself cornered in the place that usually served as his sanctuary, stuttering before the scowl of an angry tiger as two freeloaders seemed inclined towards ignoring his plight while seated at his dining table.

On the plus side, the two of them had at least shown up properly dressed. Kaga was once more in her kyuudou outfit she'd been wearing the night before, minus the muneate or the gloves, while Tia had somehow come across one of his old t-shirts and a pair of jeans from when he was a kid.

…With all seriousness though, it really was irritating to see Tia smirking in such a manner from over Taiga's shoulder. The way Kaga was nonchalantly sipping at the morning brew he'd prepared didn't make him feel any better. He understood that in a way it was a display of their trust that he had the situation under control, but that didn't mean he wouldn't have appreciated a hand here!

Wait. This was their revenge for his response earlier that morning, wasn't it?

"Fuji-nee, just listen to me for a second. Please." Placing his hands on the teacher's shoulders, he took advantage of the pause that gave him to think. To be frank, lying to her didn't sit well with him, but it wasn't like the truth was much of an option here either. He pondered on that as his eyes briefly roamed the living room for an answer, to find his attention eventually drawn towards the television, as he realized his story had already been made for him.

"I'm not sure if I understand everything myself, but you're familiar with the stories in the news recently, right? The ones about the disappearances?"

Taiga raised an eyebrow at the question, looking skeptical but also interested as to why he'd bring up such a thing. "The ones at sea, you mean? The reports of people going out and just… never coming back?"

"Ah." He nodded. It was an issue being brought up in school recently, apparently because the searches had revealed that the disappearances – or at least whatever was causing them – were primarily located just past the horizon off the shores of Fuyuki. He wasn't sure what to make of such a thing personally, but maybe he could make use of the rumors that were circulating.

"These two – um, Kaga and Tia, that is – apparently have been waiting for their parents to come back, and they're worried they might be amongst the people who've disappeared. They haven't heard from them for a while at least, and the apartment they were staying in evicted them recently since they weren't making payments. Even I can puzzle enough together to understand what that means."

"Hm?" With her irritation from before visibly cooling to a constant simmer, he was glad to see she was at least considering his words. If nothing else, it seemed he'd sounded convincing enough that she wasn't denying his explanation outright. "I don't know… this all still seems really suspicious to me. Don't they have any other family to take them in?"

"Yeah, about that…" He hesitated, hoping to keep up his act for just a while longer. "I guess part of the problem is that their family's from overseas. Their parents left in the first place to grab some things they'd had to leave behind, but that obviously hasn't gone over so well. When I saw both of them wandering the shopping district yesterday, when I found out the situation their family was in, I thought that maybe if they stayed at my place for a bit things might…"

Scratching the back of his head nervously, Shirou grinned. "…Yeah, we both know I didn't think that far ahead. Didn't really have a plan at all in the midst of everything. Really, I kind of stopped listening after the part where they needed help and just did the first thing to come to mind."

Taiga sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she did so, but even as she continued to glare with frustration at him he didn't miss the way her eyes softened ever slightly. Despite her misgivings of the situation, even if she was prone to call his ideal childish, he knew she too had a hard time ignoring those in trouble.

"Shirou?"

He blinked, surprised to find that at some point Kaga had left her spot in the living room to stand behind Fuji-nee. He was grateful to find she was listening to the request he'd made last night. It had taken some convincing on his part – mostly in the form of what amounted to roughly half his fridge – but eventually he'd managed to compromise with her to call him by name in public. He hardly needed whatever kind of reputation his newest title would give him.

Of course, compared to his reaction, Fuji-nee's was downright comical. Retreating from her place in front of him while making a noise that sounded like something between a scream and sputtering motor, he could only shake his head as she froze like that, apparently unsure of what to do next. And was the eye twitch really necessary?

"Ah, Kaga. Meet Taiga Fujimura, the woman who for all intents and purposes supposedly claims to be my guardian. Fuji-nee, meet Kaga."

"What kind of introduction is that?! And what's with that unnecessary 'supposedly'?!"

…Well, it seemed her recovery was as quick as ever at least.

Kaga gave a brief bow of her head. "A pleasure. I hope we'll get along in the future."

"Shirou! When did you start attracting the cool beauty type?!"

He grunted, shrugging his shoulders as Kaga tilted her head at the exaggerated behavior. At this point, he tended to just ignore such comments from his caretaker as the nonsense it was.

"Do you need something, Kaga?" he asked, decidedly ignoring the way Fuji-nee kept switching her gaze from him to the shipgirl.

"Ad-Shirou, it seems the two of you are having an argument over my… appearance, and I feel that as the one who's placed you in such a situation it's also my duty to support you." He smiled, all but hearing the unspoken words: _'You're my admiral, after all.'_

Just as he was about to respond however, someone beat him to it. "You're right. Shirou's hardly the person I should be searching for answers from right now." Surprised, he looked over at Taiga, only to find that all signs of her previous behavior had been replaced by a cold indifference.

This wasn't the lovable idiot of a girl he'd grown up with, but rather the kendo master who had once earned her nickname for an entirely different reason. More than that, it was the expression of an older sister who was worried at the idea of two strangers taking advantage of her little brother's natural kindness. Perhaps just as impressive though, Kaga didn't so much as flinch in the face of such character change.

What exactly had he placed himself in the middle of?

Curious of what he'd find in the third, when he looked over to Tia it was to find she wasn't even looking towards the growing confrontation. Her smirk at his misfortune had long disappeared, and in its place her expression had changed to that of one of deep contemplation. Whatever it was that was bothering _her,_ it was something he found he'd rather stand clear of.

Unaware of such observations, Taiga began her questioning anew. "How did you and Shirou meet? Or more importantly, what are you planning to do after all of this?"

"As he already mentioned, I have nowhere to go." Muttering that the carrier crossed her arms behind her back, breaking eye contact with the older woman for the first time as she looked over to the side, but when she next spoke there was an undertone of pride in her voice. "You might even say it's a miracle I can stand here like this at all."

Then her submissive behavior vanished as if it'd been an illusion from the beginning, returning the glare directed at her as she met the teacher eye to eye. "I've been lost for… a while now, fearing that I'd been forgotten by the people who mattered most to me. That was the state Shirou found me in, showing me an opportunity I didn't even think was possible. I'm not certain there's anything I can offer, but at this point his kindness is all that I have left. I've lost enough already that I'll pass into the abyss as many times as it's necessary to protect him."

That was... he hadn't been expecting that. The emotion burning in those brown irises of hers… it seemed that in everything that was happening, he'd forgotten. He'd forgotten that this girl who looked barely any older than himself was a _war veteran_. He'd forgotten the tragic events associated with her final moments. He'd forgotten that nothing would change the near half-century she'd spent as a forlorn wreck gathering rust beneath foreign waters. This girl – this shipgirl – had seen and done more than he most likely could ever claim.

…and when this was over, she wouldn't be the only one either.

Humorously enough, with a sheepish grin and a hand rubbing the back of her neck that reminded him of where he'd gotten a similar habit, it was Fuji-nee who ended up summarizing his thoughts. "Aah. Suddenly the atmosphere in here became really intense."

He spared a glare over his shoulder, unseen to the woman in question, but nonetheless expressing the clear, if unspoken, _'And whose fault do you think_ that _is?'_

Still, in whatever he'd failed to express to his overprotective caretaker himself, it was obvious the carrier had succeeded. After her initial reply, Taiga stood there for a long moment, to the point he couldn't even begin to decipher what else she was thinking. Yet, of all the possibilities he considered, he hadn't really imagined to see the teacher almost tackle the side of the unsuspecting kanmusu in her efforts to hug her.

"Ah, mou! Shirou, this girl is making it really hard for Nee-san to dislike her!"

…and in a manner it seemed only Fuji-nee could, the tension in the room took a swift dive faster than one of the carrier's bombers. The questions that followed, while still personal, were friendly and light-hearted. It seemed the more the two talked the more that older sister of his wanted to adopt the girl herself, and it was becoming steadily more difficult to hide his amusement at the shipgirl's growing discomfort.

"…still, finding a place for you girls is going to be a problem." By this point they had moved the conversation to the table, noticing at a rather late point just how cramped his kitchen could be in trying to fit three people.

That, and probably the fact Fuji-nee had finally gotten tired of waiting for breakfast.

Said caretaker groaned, holding a hand under her chin with eyes closed in contemplation. He could almost guess the reason why. For as much as she knew he'd never try anything there was also the part of her as a teacher that cringed at the very idea of leaving one of her future students alone with girls unsupervised. "Let's see… grandpa has some business associates staying with us for the next month or so, so there aren't any spare rooms at my own place, and I think I'd feel worse leaving two girls alone with those old geezers anyway. On the other hand, for that same reason I don't think I'd feel comfortable having grandpa put together a place for them to stay in on their own. Shirou, why do you insist on making my life more difficult~?"

Did she really just ask such a hypocritical question?!

"If I could make a suggestion," Tia interrupted, for the first time turning her attention away from what he realized had been an unusually intense interest in the current news report she had turned on. Thinking on it, she'd been unusually quiet since Fuji-nee had arrived. They hadn't been introduced yet either, had they?

He had the most sudden impression it'd be his last mistake to leave the two alone together.

"Hm?" The other woman paused, in the middle of holding the first bite of her meal to her mouth. Meanwhile, Kaga was already holding out her bowl to him for seconds. This wasn't going to end well, was it? "What is it, Tia-chan?"

The mysterious little girl raised an eyebrow at the honorific, but seemed to conclude it'd probably be best to let such a thing slide. "This grandfather of yours is the technical owner of Shirou's home, isn't he? Why not bring this matter to his attention, and see what solution he comes up with? Would that be acceptable?"

Fuji-nee blinked, apparently caught off guard by such words of reason from a voice so young. He couldn't blame her. It was probably only thanks to his knowledge of magic that he could associate Tia's appearance with a being much older. He didn't look forward to the day she inevitably underestimated her.

…that didn't mean he wouldn't be the first to buy tickets.

"Mmh… I can't really argue with that," Fuji-nee muttered, childishly puffing her cheeks at the thought. "Though I'd be worried if it's the old man he'd agree to have you stay here simply _because_ Shirou would be alone with two girls. That old pervert."

"Shirou." Though it seemed he was the only one interested in the conversation concerning the girls' future, as Kaga was yet again holding out her rice bowl to him, innocent expectation in her hazel eyes. While he could never do anything more than grin at seeing someone appreciating his food, now that he thought about it, how many had that been now?

The rapidly disappearing meal didn't make it far past his original freeloader. "Shirou! I take back what I said! This girl eats more than I do! She's bad news!"

"Or maybe she just appreciates my food more than you do," he replied, redirecting her attention to her own meal that lay untouched.

"Nooooo! That's not truuuueee!"

He sighed as the teacher started eating in what had to be the least lady-like manner he'd ever seen. The growing smirk on Tia's lips certainly wasn't helping the situation either. Kaga… just continued eating at the same pace she had before. He ignored all of it.

Somehow, he knew his future would hinge on his learning to do such a thing.

* * *

"My name is Kaga Emiya. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

All excited conversation in wake of the new school year died at that newest introduction, and Shirou found that there was more than one painful stare trying to burn a hole into the back of his head. It was just his luck that quite a few of his new classmates had transferred over with him from middle school, and even the kids who didn't know him were startled into silence by the sudden chill that had entered the classroom.

Never, at any point, had he ever hinted to having a sister. Or any family at all, frankly.

' _Fuji-nee, I know you've gotten really attached to Kaga in the last few weeks, but how… exactly… does that translate into changing her last name? More specifically, into_ my _last name?'_ Sadly, he knew there'd never be an answer to that question.

This was all thanks to a certain new teacher when it became obvious the shipgirl would be attending high school with him, one of the conditions Raiga had assigned to her stay. She claimed to have an idea as to how she could throw off any awkward questions from the other staff as to why the two shared the same address when it was known his father had passed away. As it seemed irrelevant at the time, he'd decided to humor her, but this… he should've known leaving the transfer preparations to such a woman was a mistake.

The less said of how much of the idea her grandfather had a hand in…

How exactly was this going to be any less awkward?! Actually, screw that. This was more, this was definitely more awkward than admitting he had a girl staying with him! Dammit, of course both Ayako _and_ Shinji had to be amongst his new classmates.

When the shipgirl seemed to write off the sudden tense atmosphere as nothing to do with her…

' _No, please don't do that. This is most definitely your fault. Well, partially.'_

…she continued with her introduction. "Though I'm a relative of Shirou's I've been living overseas for a while, so I look forward to working with you."

…and there went the plan to just pretending their names were a coincidence. Oh, and did he need to mention that the glaring just went up a notch too. Ayako wasn't going to be happy about this.

"Oh, Emiya-kun~ could we talk once homeroom is over?" He didn't even bother looking over his shoulder at the whisper. Did his best to ignore the hand pushing down on his shoulder too. He'd seen it enough to imagine the smile on his friend's lips that failed to reach her eyes. Well then, apparently she went right past the angry part and just slid into _she was_ _pissed._

Whose idea had it been to place their desks next to each other anyway?

Compared to that hiccup, the rest of homeroom passed without noteworthy issue – well, if he ignored the disaster waiting to happen in that he'd somehow gotten _Fuji-nee_ as his homeroom advisor _and_ English teacher. That certainly did nothing to stop what seemed to be half the girls in the class rising from their seats and swarming the unprepared kanmusu once the teacher left the room. It probably shouldn't have been much of a surprise they were all classmates of his from the year before.

"Oi, Shirou." He could only sigh at his own summons. Even if he felt he could run there was probably no point to it. She knew where he lived after all.

Turning around he was met with an irate Ayako Mitsuzuri, brown eyes narrowed in what he could only assume was suspicion. He couldn't really blame her. Due to some family matters on her part they hadn't been able to meet before the new school year, so this was just as much a first meeting between her and the carrier as it was for everyone else. The small bit of distrust he noticed in her shoulders didn't pass his attention either.

"Before you say anything," he started, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Let me just mention that she was just as much a surprise for me as well. Probably more so, to be perfectly honest. I guess there are some secrets Dad didn't feel like sharing before he passed away."

If he only knew the full truth behind such a thing… Wouldn't do him any good, but still…

"Who is she?" Well, at least his plan to defuse what on all accounts was his best friend had worked, if still being alive was any indicator.

' _If only you knew just how complicated that answer actually was.'_ Thinking that, he apologized to his father for the manner in which he seemed to be throwing the man's memory under the bus as of recently. "Not much I can say at this point, or add at least. She just kind of turned up one day with a story about my Dad and nowhere else to go. I had no intent of making her stand outside, and Fuji-nee just kind of handled things from there."

That was definitely putting it lightly. As for the relationship between Fuji-nee and Tia? Well…

" _Gek."_

" _Ah, Shirou! Taiga makes the same funny noises you do!"_

" _Tia, please don't aggravate her."_

" _Sorry, Shirou. Whatever you say."_

" _Why are you already so familiar with each otherrrrr?! Shirou, how many flags have you already triggered with these girls?!"_

…yeah. Probably best if he try not digging himself even deeper into the hole he found himself in.

"Only you, Shirou…" Placing one of her hands against her forehead, he did his best to look apologetic as she tried to stave off another headache. "I'd ask more, but I guess we'll save this until after school. Don't get me wrong, we _are_ going to talk about this," she said while poking his chest for emphasis, "but right now it looks like this new sister of yours – or whatever the hell she is – just caught Shinji's attention."

Turning back to the growing fiasco, he saw that the boy in question had indeed somehow gotten beyond the crowd of girls, apparently thinking nothing of the shipgirl's apathetic expression as he held one of her hands.

"So Kaga-san, what are your plans after-"

…only to be cut off as one of Kaga's new fans elbowed him in the stomach, knocking him over only to be trampled over as the circle of girls formed anew. More than one of his male classmates grimaced at the groaning mess that struggled to crawl out of that, though none of them seemed intent to lend a hand.

"You know what, I think I like her. Anyone who can do _that_ to Shinji is alright in my books."

The martial artist at least had the decency to look away as he glared at her, before walking over to give his other friend a hand and check on the status on what was unquestionably a more than uncomfortable kanmusu. First getting Shinji back to his desk, just as he drew close enough that the excitable chatter became distinct voices, he decided that perhaps he'd jumped in too quickly.

"Emiya-san, what's your relation to Emiya-kun?"

"Where did you go overseas? What was it like?"

"Kaga-chan! Can I call you Onee-sama?!"

'… _uh.'_

No, he _really_ didn't want to know.

However, seeing the shipgirl in the middle of all of that – who even now was wordlessly seeking his help with her eyes – he chose to intervene regardless. After all, she'd chosen him as her admiral. He couldn't say he fully understood what that meant quite yet, but one thing he'd grown accustomed to was that sometimes the act of saving someone was a bit simpler than life-threatening circumstance…

* * *

"Shirou, you sure you're alright?"

"Ayako, don't take this the wrong way, but it's a bit difficult to believe your concern is genuine when you _still_ have that smirk on your face."

…of course, that first required him to not encounter the same fate as Shinji. He'd ended managing his goal to interrupt the girls, but only on account that Kaga had glared them all into submission when one of them had accidentally tripped him. He still had trouble understanding how such behavior only seemed to make the kanmusu even more popular.

Still, if the matter of endangering Shinji hadn't put the shipgirl in Ayako's good books, than coming to his aid for some reason most certainly had. Didn't stop the brunette from reminding him of his lost pride at every turn she could though. There was a lesson she was trying to teach him in all of this, of that he was sure, but for right now he was hoping against reason he could just ignore it without incident. That was how his first day of high school would be remembered it seemed, as he walked home with Ayako as usual with an additional third.

Speaking of the carrier, she looked nice in her new school uniform, following behind them quietly as they made their way through Miyama Town. Looked good in just about anything if he was honest with himself, an embarrassing day in front of a changing room at the mall coming to mind. He understood that Kaga and Tia needed new clothes, but had it really been that important that he come as well?

Considering the two glares he had gotten for his initial resistance, and the expectant gaze of another, apparently it had.

That said, she still looked a bit uncomfortable. Did so in anything that wasn't her personal gear it seemed, and it was rare to see her in anything else when alone in the Emiya residence. It was yet another thing to add to his growing list of questions, but to his best understanding it appeared that the outfit was as much a part of her true identity as 'aircraft carrier Kaga' as the rest of her was.

"Is there something you need, Shirou?" the shipgirl asked, shaking him from his thoughts as he realized to his embarrassment he'd been caught staring.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Except even he understood just how weightless his words were, so it came as no surprise to him that as he turned away he could still feel the girl's eyes on his back. It certainly didn't help matters that he actually did have a growing concern, one he had more personal experience with than he was comfortable admitting.

It was something he'd noticed at school, in the passing moments he caught Kaga interacting with the other girls, of the part she played in their conversations. Or the complete lack thereof, to be more specific. He'd be the first to admit that his understanding of the girls his age was slightly above nonexistent – despite Tia's increasingly audacious attempts to change that – but he knew enough to comprehend that Kaga's current popularity was entirely a byproduct of curiosity.

He didn't need to be any sort of tactician to understand the failure that awaited such a path.

Unfortunately, he had no idea what to do about it. It wasn't that long ago he'd suffered from such a problem himself, and though he'd come to something of a conclusion to that stage of his life, it had been a result of luck more so than any effort on his part. The sad truth of the matter was, regardless of the many changes in his life, Shirou Emiya still struggled to understand the most basic concepts of human nature.

But…

Back to the situation at hand, despite her obvious skepticism, the carrier was reluctant to voice her unease regarding his odd silence. When he risked looking back at her, it was to find her staring resignedly off to the side, to the view of Fuyuki and its harbor painted in evening colors one could see from atop the ridge they were walking. Of course, on the other hand…

"Oi, Emiya…"

…just because the shipgirl had no intention of pursuing the subject, didn't mean the feeling was mutual.

Cringing at the annoyed tone, it came as no surprise when he took notice of the brown eyes directed at him in a scowl. The tone in her voice told him all that needed to be said, but when she threw in the formal address on top of that? Well, it seemed he'd screwed up. _Again_.

Just how many times had that already made for today alone?

He sighed, and this time it was his turn to look away in discomfort. He wasn't getting away from this one without explaining. He knew that. Still didn't change the fact he didn't like getting others involved in his problems. Never would either.

…but then again, this wasn't just about him, was it? In fact, the solution he was looking for may have even just presented itself.

It had worked for him, after all.

Pinching his nose in exasperation, when he looked back Ayako's expression hadn't changed, and to that reaction he could only chuckle. He really didn't deserve a friend like this. Looking back to the girl following them, didn't deserve any of this, he corrected.

He whispered, doing his best to keep Kaga out of earshot. "Just… keep this a secret, okay? I'm sure it's obvious, but Kaga isn't some long-lost sister of mine, or a distant cousin, or anything else like that. The truth is…"

He kept it short, but he did tell her the truth, or at least the truth he'd told Taiga. He was getting tired of all this misleading, but he had no intention of getting the woman who was his older sister in all but blood involved in his life as a magus, Ayako even less so. To that regard, he was finally beginning to understand, why his father had always been so against teaching him.

To be a magus meant to walk with death, but it also meant pushing away those you cared for.

Finishing his story, when his best friend looked back at the shipgirl there was a new light in her eyes, a tenderness that'd been missing there before. He wasn't sure what kind of suspicions she'd been holding onto most of the day, but it was nice to see a tension leaving her as she dropped them.

It was no exaggeration to stress the relief he felt when she looked at him from the corner of her eye, a small grin gracing her lips in the meantime. Then she went on to confuse him again as she frowned in what he could only describe as _pouting_. "Idiot. You're probably the only guy I know who'd take in random girls from off the street with only the intention of giving them a home. Kind of makes me jealous though. Have I mentioned just how unfair that girl's bust is? 'Cause it totally is."

That's when her eyes opened wide in realization of something, in a manner he could only describe as _not good_. "Wait. She gets to eat at your place every night too, doesn't she? Breakfast and lunch, too? Oh, that is so not cool! Hey, Kaga! C'mere for a second…"

As the carrier looked to them in question, then alarm as she noticed Ayako's fast approach, he shook his head in resignation. His friend didn't always know how to best express herself in the more delicate situations – perhaps one of the reasons they got along as well as they did – but as she wrapped an arm around her fellow brunette's shoulders he knew he had nothing to fear.

He did his best not to interrupt the two, maintaining the small lead he had on them along the road that took them to his home. It was nice, seeing Ayako trying to chat amicably with the other girl. At one point Kaga's attention drifted over to himself, the one next to her shooting him a smirk from behind her, and to that he did respond with a comforting smile and friendly wave.

He doubted that the shipgirl hadn't heard most, if not all, of their conversation. She may have been a bit quiet, but she was far from unobservant. It may not have seemed like much, but somehow he knew this was enough that his intentions wouldn't be misunderstood.

When she gave him one of those rare and small smiles of hers, he knew the message was received.

* * *

"Admiral? Mind if I join you?"

When Ayako and Taiga had both gone home for the evening, and that incredibly strange girl had disappeared to wherever it was she got to this late, she found him just as she always did when looking for him. A gift of some sort, one that allowed her a faint perception to the location of her admiral, as well as his condition – as long as he was nearby. Though in this case it was hardly necessary. There was only one place he seemed to ever be in the late hours of the evening, a single part of the rigid routine he maintained daily.

"Hm? Ah, Kaga. Sure, make yourself comfortable."

She did so, walking behind where the boy was crouched to take a seat on one of the trunks that had been pushed against the wall. Though a breeze from the night air brushed against her arms from the open door, it failed to bother her. She'd always enjoyed the peace that came after sunset.

It also helped that she found it was the only time she could be alone with her admiral, where she could talk openly with him without fear of interruption. Though more often than not, she merely watched over him, acting as a quiet sentinel as the boy practiced the thing he called "magecraft".

It surprised her at times, how quickly she had accepted what had once been the foreign concept that was magic. Sure, some of her crew during the war had their superstitions, but they had never proven to be anything more than that. Perhaps it was because as something other than human she understood she herself wasn't among that which was considered 'normal', or that it provided some measure of understanding concerning her true origins, but more likely it was simply because it had been the explanation her admiral had given her when she asked what was happening.

As a shipgirl, it had never even been a consideration to doubt him.

No, what she had a far more difficult time grasping was something her old crew – and it seemed most humans – took for granted.

She had a body. One of flesh and blood, with its own warmth and pulse, one that allowed her to move as she pleased. If she wasn't cold and analytical by nature, if she hadn't had the boy she had chosen to become her admiral immediately there at her side, she couldn't predict what her response might have been upon her summoning. Something inappropriate most likely, as embarrassing as that was to admit.

She averted her eyes as a small blush lightened her cheeks, an action that thankfully went unnoticed by the boy sitting a few feet away. Even then, none of that had stopped her from resting his head on her lap in their first meeting. A small act of selfishness in a time of weakness, but one she'd also repeat, if ever given the chance.

It was on that same level of thinking though that came about her greatest dilemma, one she did her best to keep hidden from Shirou…

"Kaga? Is something wrong?"

…whose voice chose that moment to shake her from her thoughts, brown gaze rising to meet concerned amber.

Wait a minute, how long had she… "Sir?"

"Sorry, it's just…" His expression turned inquisitive, breaking eye contact with her to look over at his current project, a motorcycle of all things if her memory was right. He looked oddly conflicted, and if she didn't know better she would've guessed he was trying to understand what his question was _himself_.

"…I don't know. Seems like something's bothering you, I guess. Just got the feeling you wanted to talk." He grunted, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed his head in that embarrassed manner he usually did. "Forget it, I've probably just spent too much time working on this thing. I've stopped counting the number of times it's been returned to me by this point. Maybe I'm just worried that at the rate old Raiga's taking her he's going to put this poor girl in the dirt long before her time."

Contrary to his attempts to change the subject though, he was clearly still bothered by it, whatever it was that had just happened. A soft sigh on her lips, she got up from her seat silently to sit closer to him, their shoulders brushing as she did so. Their time together had been short, but already she was familiar enough with her admiral's habits to know he spent far too much time with unnecessary burdens.

For as a matter of fact, she _did_ have questions. More than she could count. Sadly, even during her service, she rarely opened up to anyone. Akagi, her beloved sister in all but name, was actually the only one she'd regularly spoken more than a few words to. That trait persisted even now, and it seemed that just as she was becoming acquainted with his own bad habits, as a consequence her admiral was beginning to somehow understand her reserved desires more than she did so herself.

Surprisingly, instead of flinching away from the light contact like she expected, Shirou merely looked up from his project to meet her gaze. With one of his eyebrows rising in curiosity, it almost felt like even as his thoughts had strayed just now he'd never really lost his focus on her.

Odd. Had he always been this observant?

"If it isn't too much trouble, could you tell me more about magic?"

Before anything else though, it should've gone without saying by this point that she would always put her admiral first, so instead of addressing one of her many concerns she asked about something she knew was close to him. To gain a deeper understanding of the one she had chosen.

"Magic?" Judging by his reaction – one of the rare occasions she found him biting his lip – whatever he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. "Hm… I guess it wouldn't hurt. However, the only thing I can really do is reinforcement magic, so if you're expecting me to shoot fire or levitate objects you might be disappointed."

"Reinforcement?"

"Ah." He nodded. "Not really the most impressive name, but it's exactly what the label sounds like. Oh, but it's a lot more than just making something tougher or harder to break. The skill lies in that it's meant to push an object to its limits, regardless of what that might be. The sharpness of a knife, the nourishment of food, the brightness of a lightbulb, just to name a few examples. In fact, my father even told me of people who can reinforce their own bodies: eyes that can see further, legs that can run faster, arms that can lift more. Though that's certainly beyond anything that I can do."

"Other than that…" He sighed, a look of frustration entering his expression. "Eh, I'm not the best at explaining it, so maybe it'd be best if I just show you. However, my success rate is rather low, so I might only be able to give you a general idea. To be honest, I spend a lot more of my time meditating than I do actually practicing."

"Admiral, you're rambling."

"Right, sorry. Just give me a second…" Leaving that note hanging, he put down the tools in his hands, leaning back to rest his arms in his lap.

"Trace, on."

Closing his eyes, he began a series of breathing exercises, a look of incredible concentration in his expression she'd had yet to see. A minute passed in silence like that, though it certainly felt a lot longer in passing. Then, for some reason she didn't understand the image of battleship broadside came to mind, and suddenly the boy next to her resonated with something that hadn't been there before.

Granted, it was faint, to the point she'd likely not have even noticed it if she hadn't already been looking for something. In her first dealing with the arcane she had expected to feel strange or uncomfortable, but it ended up being remarkably calming – familiar even – like it was a friendly echo of something that dwelled within the core of herself. So she was more than a bit surprised at the look of complete astonishment on her admiral himself when he exited his trance.

"…that's weird. Usually it takes me far longer to activate my circuit. This time… it was like it was already there… like there's more than just the one too."

She didn't understand enough to know what he was talking about, but still… "Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "No, that's the thing. It feels _right_. Like everything else I've been doing up to this point was wrong. I feel weaker than usual, but… I don't know. It's the first time I've felt like I've really improved. Was this what she was talking about?"

Kaga could only assume who he was talking of, but it was clear the question was rhetorical, or at the very least not directed at herself. Not that she knew what she could've said even if it wasn't. Head bowed and shoulders shaking, he seemed… distressed, and abruptly she was finding herself caught entirely out of her element. It hurt, more so than she would have thought it would, to see him in trouble and remaining clueless as to what she should do. In the end all she could settle for was pulling the end of his sleeve, hopeful to remind him that in whatever he was dealing with he'd never be alone.

Though of all the responses she imagined to receive, chuckling was not one of them.

"I'm fine, Kaga, just coming to terms with the fact that something that had seemed infinitely out of my reach had merely been at the end of my fingertips this entire time." Making that rather vague statement, his expression revealed a soft smile rather than the pained grimace she was expecting. Seeing that, earnest relief filled her chest at the realization that the previous moment had been nothing more than a byproduct of her own imagination and misunderstanding, and she found herself returning a nervous grin of her own.

He continued, ignorant of the struggle she was having with feelings she didn't understand. "That said, I still haven't showed you any magic yet, have I?"

"Before I even attempt any reinforcement the first thing I have to do is grasp the structure of an object," he explained, "similar to a blueprint. The concept itself involves me sharing prana with whatever my target is, and there's a very fine line of success. Too much or too little, and the effects could become toxic instead. Therefore, I need to understand what I'm working with beforehand. My father called it structural analysis."

Once more he assumed that rigid stance of his, placing his hand against the vehicle in front of him. "Tracing auxiliary components. Altering fundamental structure. Reinforcing…"

The slow pulse from before gradually grew in intensity, and soon enough not only did the feeling resonate from her admiral, but from the bike as well. However, that's when she noticed something odd was happening. For suddenly that silent echo within the core of herself was far more than that.

Then as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

"…that can't be right. What… what is this?"

He was looking at her oddly, though not necessarily in a negative sense. It was more like… Respect? Awe?

"Usually it's… I shouldn't be able… I'm having trouble focusing."

"Admiral?"

"Kaga, I apologize if I'm reading into this too deeply, but I think we both know it isn't my magic that you have questions about. You're purposely ignoring the things that are really bothering you. Why?"

"Admiral, I…" She wasn't sure what had happened just now, but whatever it was it had all the boy's focus on her. She had hoped to avoid this, that she could deviate the subject whenever their conversation got too close to that which she wanted to ignore. Her own weaknesses, the things she feared would have her admiral declaring her unfit for combat.

For a shipgirl such as herself, it was a fate equally comparable to death.

All she needed was time. To train, to fight, to adapt, but she would never have that. Her admiral was asking, and there was no way she would refuse him, there was no way she could deceive him.

For as long as it was in her power, she would never deny him anything.

Still, in a reversal of roles, the hold she had once more on his sleeve was now for her own comfort.

"I'm scared."

Such was how she bared herself and her worries to him fully for the first time since their partnership had been established. Speaking to him for the first time not as the girl she was trying to emulate but as the shipgirl she was. She asked him more questions about magic and its purpose. Revealed to him little things like how nice it was just to brush shoulders with him. Spoke of how daunting it was adjusting to a country in an age that was supposed to be her own, yet proved to be so unfamiliar to her. Of what it felt to be the only girl of her kind.

At no point was his expression accusing, did he seem disappointed or angry. He merely listened, answering questions when he could, shrugging helplessly when he couldn't. Despite her pointing out all the evidence otherwise, he seemed intent to reject any view she was anything more than a girl his age. Perhaps it should've been clear to her that's how their relationship was from the beginning.

…though that in turn brought its own set of concerns.

However she couldn't shake the impression it was a bit strange, at the manner his attention would occasionally drift to that unusual sigil inscribed on the back of his hand, eyes unfocused like he was seeing something she wasn't.

* * *

"It'll rain soon."

Such was the rather obvious observation of one elderly woman as Shirou waited on her to ring up the groceries he'd bought for that evening's dinner. He smiled resignedly to her warning, equally aware of the dark clouds amassing overhead but unable to do anything about it. Fuji-nee and Kaga had recently double-teamed his fridge, which in turn left him with few alternatives to his present course. At least he'd had the foresight to bring an umbrella this time.

It had been several days since that night in his shed, since he'd learned he wasn't as much a failure of a magus as he'd originally thought. Even now those circuits he'd never knew he'd had merely lay dormant, ready to be activated at the mere touch of a trigger.

And let it be said how much it amused him that he'd subconsciously chosen his trigger to be a battleship of all things. If Fuji-nee ever found out…

Putting that aside however, in finally getting an answer to the question that had plagued him for years he had of course gotten several more to replace it. Though he had an idea the answer would be a bit more forthcoming this time around, his eyes briefly falling to where he felt that pendant resting against his chest.

That is, if she was willing to cooperate first.

The issue at hand was a discovery he'd made with his structural analysis, based on a decision he'd made in the past to focus on training such a skill with the intention of widening his perception. It wasn't meant to be anything impressive, shouldn't have amounted to anything more than another footnote in chasing after his ideal, but it _had_.

…and it had led to him seeing Kaga for the first time as she really was.

His intention had been nothing more than to visualize Raiga's bike, to show the shipgirl how he began most of his mechanical work. Instead, when he'd widened his perception, it hadn't been the motorcycle that caught his attention. It had been the kanmusu sitting next to him.

At first he'd been confused, as his ability usually failed on principle when it came to getting a grasp on anything that was – or had ever been – living. He wasn't sure if it was a skill he simply lacked, or a psychological consequence of the fire that still haunted his nightmares, but in the end none of that mattered. None of that changed what had happened.

It didn't change that she wasn't truly human.

It didn't change that he refused to acknowledge that.

It didn't change what he'd seen of her innermost self.

Or at least, that was the best description he could think for it. His current interpretation of the information that had been given to him at an impossible rate. Things that even now he was still trying to sort. Things that ironically any admiral would want to know about his ship, or more specifically in his case, his carrier.

Before any of that was the image, of an impassive brunette standing in full kyuudou gear, a bow in hand and a quiver resembling ship rigging slung across her shoulder. As if that weren't an impressive enough sight on its own, then the stage which she stood on certainly made up for that. It was the flight deck of a carrier, for whose identity was obvious, her island and war planes set as the background. An identical copy to the one she had strapped to her arm.

It had taken him several seconds to realize it was his mind's interpretation of the stats and diagrams he was seeing, as if he had just tried to analyze the entirety her hull while she'd been in service, and it left him with the impression he suddenly knew the carrier as well as her chief engineers had. Possibly even more so, as structural analysis had a way of seeing things beyond what any ordinary perception could grasp.

Compared to that, he'd almost missed what had come next, but that didn't mean it was any less significant. In fact, it was what bothered him the most.

It had been a small, idle thought at the time. That something was bothering the carrier. That she was trying to avoid the issue. Yet something also told him it hadn't come from himself, but from the bond he had with the girl. It was time he started trying to understand what the contract between them fully entailed, and Tia was the only one he knew of who would be privy to such information.

She never had quite explained to him all of the details pertaining to that.

Unfortunately, she had been surprisingly unhelpful in any of his endeavors to figure out what it meant, though that was mostly because she'd been mysteriously absent quite a bit as of late. It was apparent she was planning something, though as to what he had no idea.

Perhaps fortunately, the approaching shower chose that moment to make itself known, so any further thoughts on the matter would have to wait until later. So much for getting home beforehand…

It didn't take long for the storm to pick up to a nice downpour, and Shirou quickly found himself grateful for the umbrella in his hand. While he personally couldn't care less whether he got wet or not, for frankly he hadn't caught a cold in years, he somehow doubted any of his tenants would appreciate their food getting soaked.

Maybe that too was fate playing her hand in things, because if he'd been forced to run home it was all too likely he would've missed it.

Just outside of the shopping district was a small park, a generally unassuming lot sporting nothing more than a metal slide and a rusted swing set. From what he'd seen it failed in grabbing the attention of even the neighborhood children, though he had seen the occasional couple sitting on one of the benches. Regardless, it went without saying it wasn't a place you'd expect to find someone in the rain, yet as he passed something caught his attention.

The pendant around his neck – dormant since the day it'd been given to him – suddenly lit up with magical energy, leaving a comfortable warmth to rest on his chest. He had no clue what it meant, and with dinner waiting he didn't have time to think further of it, deciding he'd add it to the growing list of things he needed to ask his closest partner.

That's when he found himself doing a double take when he noticed that there _was_ a figure sitting on one of the benches.

' _Who'd let their kid play outside in a storm like this?'_ He figured it couldn't hurt to see what was going on, as it could quite possibly be a child who'd gotten separated from his parents and ended up lost.

Except when he drew close he recognized he'd made a mistake in his assumption. What he'd originally mistaken for a kid was actually a girl close to his own age, her bowed head and slumped shoulders making her appear smaller than she really was.

She was dressed in a school uniform of some kind, though it wasn't of any design he recognized. An almost entirely black ensemble, it was your standard sailor uniform with a red tie and white collar. Her black hair was tied into a short braid that fell over her shoulder, with two odd flaps – almost like a hound's ears – styled out to the sides. Normally, he imagined it would've been a rather cute appearance.

That is, if she wasn't currently soaked from head to foot, her hair pasted to her forehead in a terrible mess that hid her face from view.

He acted before thinking anymore of the matter, exposing himself to the storm to hold the umbrella over her own head once he drew close enough. Hopefully, the two back home would forgive him for getting their dinner wet. In either case, there was someone obviously in need right in front of him, so whatever the consequence his decision had already been made.

She flinched, apparently distracted enough that she hadn't heard his approach, her shoulders jolting as she lifted her head to look up at him. Whatever her expression had been was lost as she schooled her features, back straightening and feet clicking together with military discipline. Almost like…

"Ah! Um, Sir, can I help you?" Her voice was soft, a heartfelt tenderness present that he'd found in only a rare few. It only proved to further contradict her disheartening situation, but it left him with the assurance he'd made the right choice, as well as a growing frustration for reasons unknown.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Grinning sheepishly, doing his best to ignore the rain soaking his clothes, he added, "Storm's looking pretty bad, and to be honest with you I'm not even sure if it's possible for me to ignore someone who looks like they could use a bit of help. The least I can do is keep you out of the rain for a bit."

Her giggle was so fake it was almost painful. "Thank you, but I'm fine. Really. I live just around the corner actually, so don't… don't worry about me. It'd be better if you just forgot. _Please._ "

Perhaps if it were anyone else, they would've taken that for face value, honoring her request and leaving her as she was. However, he finally figured out what it was about this girl that bothered him so, that _frustrated_ him so much. He was familiar with that look in her eyes, the forced smile, the slumped shoulders, more so than most could claim. After all, until only recently he'd seen them in the mirror each morning.

Knowing what had happened in his past to result in such a thing, in surviving through an experience he had no right to. To know that something similar had happened to someone, _anyone_ , angered him more so than he could ever express.

Just because he found his father's ideal beautiful, didn't mean he was unaware of the tragedy behind it.

He frowned. "Can't do that I'm afraid. Mostly because it's obvious you're lying. You have no place to stay, do you?"

Her reaction spoke for itself, turning her head away while biting her bottom lip, hands visibly tightening around the wood she was sitting on.

His response to that was simple one. "C'mon, I'm getting you out of this rain, and I'll stand here as long as I have to until you cooperate. I've got a warm meal and a hot bath back at my home with your name on it, as well as a sister who'll skin me alive if I try anything funny."

Blue eyes widening in surprise, she seemed to struggle with how to respond to that, before finally whispering a quiet, "Sir?"

"That's an order, sailor." He only meant it as a joke to help lighten the mood…

"Ah! Yes, Sir." …but he realized then that it might very well be the thing to define their relationship.

Shifting the umbrella and his bags to one hand, he held out the open arm in invitation, lifting her to her feet once she took it.

"I'm Shirou, by the way. Shirou Emiya. You?"

"Shigure. Just… Shigure."

* * *

End: Wow, that took a _lot_ longer than I was expecting. I'll admit, it was mostly due to poor planning on my part. But with us entering the holiday season and all, I'd say some of the credit goes to my job that's kicking my butt too. That said, new chapter's done, hope you enjoy it.

Ugh, and I so wanted to do more with Shigure this chapter, but it's gotten long enough as it is already. Guess I'll just have to wait until the next one…

A bit of world-building in this one, setting the stage for a few of the concepts outside of the Grail War, though I've done my best to keep it within the bounds of Nasuverse Lore. Let me know if you spot any major contradictions or inaccuracies. That said, I realize I'm probably stretching the summoning mechanics a bit far on this one, so yeah… that's a thing.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to throttle my muse to make sure the next chapter doesn't take me _another_ two months to write…


	3. When the Rain Clears

A/N: A big thanks to nitewind and LeBlueHelix for doing some quick beta work of this chapter.

You know, I _could_ give you some lame response as to what reasons this chapter took so long, but honestly? I doubt it really interests any of you, so I'll just jump straight to the point and give you the chapter you're all hopefully interested in. Here's:

* * *

 **An Ocean's Sword  
** **Chapter 3  
** **Enlistment (III) – When the Rain Clears…**

–––––

' _Geez, this storm just won't let up, will it?'_

He'd never really been one to think much of the rain. Then again, he'd never been one to think much of his surroundings at all, if he were perfectly honest. No, Shirou Emiya was a kid who spent too much of his time single-mindedly chasing an ideal to do silly things like smell the flowers or jump in puddles on his way home from school. Now that he thought about it, that was probably the reason Fuji-nee had taken him to all those museums what felt like a lifetime ago, in what had ironically enough sparked an interest in him that was partially responsible for his current predicament.

Now it seemed the only thing he could see was this downpour. That, and the girl walking a step behind him underneath the umbrella they shared.

Shigure, huh?

The unlikelihood of such a coincidence hadn't escaped his notice. It had been some time since he had, in a fit of boredom, memorized the names of several of the ships found in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ones both well known to history and those whose stories he found uncomfortably relatable.

In studying things from the perspective of a country that had fought on the losing side of that war, he found that included more than just a few tales.

He had his suspicions, but he didn't strictly know what to do with them. Even lacking as many social manners as he did, he understood that if he approached the matter too callously, even if his notion proved correct, he stood the risk of scaring her away. It was practically a miracle he'd even gotten her to follow him in the first place.

Yet at the same time, it was impossible for him to ignore her appearance. With her shoulders drawn in and hands clasped together as they were, he couldn't recall a time he'd ever seen someone look more miserable. If there had been, he had no misconceptions that he would've helped such a person, regardless of how young he might have been at the time.

Granted, there had been his father, but…

Shirou was shaken from his thoughts as their shoulders bumped, and for the first time since they'd started walking, he got a reaction out of the girl at his side. With blue eyes opened wide, her mouth half-opened in mild surprise, her face was such a contrast to what it had just been it was almost comical. Then their gazes met, and with a small flush spreading across her cheeks she averted her eyes. Even soaked as they were those odd hair flaps seemed to move with each of her actions, and he had to hold back a groan at how adorable the whole thing was.

A feeling that only intensified as it happened again, and not only did she fail to react this time, but he could've sworn he felt her drift closer to maintain the contact.

Still, he kept his eyes on the road ahead of him, as it was likely the girl herself hadn't noticed. He knew the probable reasons, and was well familiarized with them by this point, all thanks to a certain carrier. Kanmusu – if Shigure was what he expected – were originally spirits, beings not meant to ever possess a physical body, nor any of the benefits of such. The simple pleasure of touch was one of those things. Though it was only because Kaga had explicitly mentioned it that he even knew that.

The pendant around his neck did the rest in confirming it.

Which he would swear was telling him – once again reminded of what he needed to ask a certain little girl about – that it was probably a good time to try and start a conversation with her.

"Hey, mind if I ask a question?"

She didn't voice any response, but something in her stance told him he at least had her attention.

"What brought you here? To Fuyuki, I mean? I can't help but get the impression you're lost, yet it also doesn't feel like you know what you're looking for either."

They continued walking in silence after that, and he felt perfectly content in doing so. His reasoning being that rather than giving signs she had ignored him, she'd bitten her lip after his comments, like she was struggling with a reply she didn't want to give. She was likely debating how much of her story she could trust him with.

Eventually, in a very soft voice, "…it's a silly story. It's nothing that you'd want to hear."

"You might be surprised."

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but it looked like her hands had relaxed, if only a little. "I've been away from home for a while now. To be honest, everyone I know passed away a long time ago, and I've never had a reason to come back. Then recently, I just… I just felt drawn to this place. So I came. I'm sorry, I'm sure that all sounds like complete nonsense to you."

"Anything but, actually. I've been getting a lot of experience with that as of late. I guess if I'm the one asking questions, it's only fair I allow you one in turn, so is there something you want to ask?" Was this another trait Tia had given him? Could they sense where he was? Follow him? But even if that was true, didn't he need a catalyst to summon them? How had she appeared like this on her own? For a moment he had vaguely hoped Shigure stood a chance at helping him in figuring any of that out, but if the lack of confidence in her response was anything to go by, it was likely she knew even less of her situation than he did.

With that being said, even though he had offered, he contemplated how much he could say in this first meeting, how he should go about easing her concerns. He couldn't stop himself from comparing her situation to Kaga's. She was obviously weighed down by so many more burdens than the carrier was, or… no, he understood now that was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part. Their conversation a few nights ago had already revealed that Kaga had what were likely the very same questions, just not the drive to ask them. The likely concerns that every kanmusu had upon their summoning.

Whatever device Tia had used that brought these girls to life, he had to accept it didn't have such conveniences as giving them knowledge of the modern era, experiences of what it was like to be human, even things as basic like how to hold a conversation. That responsibility naturally fell on his shoulders, so it was only right he do everything in his power to help them adjust.

The road he'd found himself on had only begun it seemed.

Back with the shipgirl at his side, she still looked extremely unsure of herself, but meeting his eyes she asked, "Um, Sir? Why are you doing this? We're strangers, it's only natural you'd ignore me. Everyone else always has."

…and here he was troubling himself with the idea of how much he could say because he thought she'd ask something _difficult._

His amber eyes grew soft with nostalgia. That was likely the one question he'd always have an answer to. "Ever since I was a kid, since my first memories, I've always wanted to help people. When I was younger I… lost something irreplaceable, but also gained something invaluable in return. Thanks to that, I was saved, through a smile I thought was precious. It's a bit childish, but since then I've always chased after that feeling, and regardless of how pointless it might be I have no intentions of changing that."

"My dream is to one day be a Hero of Justice, to help anyone who needs it, regardless of their situation. There has to be a way, a path where everyone gets saved, in which everyone is smiling. I'll study and learn and _fight_ until I find it."

He turned to her, grinning as he said, "So something like this? It's the only thing I _can_ do."

* * *

"Hm? Seems the others haven't gotten back from school yet. Guess that means the bath should be open, so help yourself. Hopefully they haven't gotten stuck in this storm."

Such were the words of that incredibly odd boy as he stowed away the umbrella he was carrying, removing his shoes before walking down a hallway she assumed led to his dining room. Following his example, she found him behind the counter of the kitchen, examining the contents of the bags he'd been carrying. From the occasional dissatisfied grunts he was making, he didn't like what he saw.

A consequence of helping her most likely. When he took a step back and looked over at her, she expected frustration, even anger, but if anything he only spared her an amused grin before pointing her in a different direction than the one she was headed and getting back to his task.

He didn't say much else, and perhaps he didn't need to. Maybe it was the part of her personality that found it easy to trust in another's kindness at work, but even for her she found it unusual how easy it was to follow after this stranger.

 _That's an order, sailor._

What an… odd choice of words from one who for all purposes appeared to be nothing more than a civilian. It didn't change the fact that as he'd done so she'd snapped to attention as if standing before one of her captains of old. From there she was merely following orders, or at least that's what she was telling herself. It was easy. It was familiar. As a spirit who could do no more than press forward and wordlessly encourage the men who served aboard her, it was perhaps the only thing she had.

But that wasn't true anymore, was it?

Thinking that, when she looked up she found a pair of blue eyes looking back at her from her reflection. A window? It seemed she was passing through a veranda of some kind, the view giving her a clean look at the storm that seemed to have only grown worse since she arrived. That wasn't what held her attention, though.

It was the first time the full weight of it actually struck her. She was… alive, a pale arm reaching up to touch the reflection in front of her, cold brushing at her fingertips as they traced the glass. Of course, the first question to come to mind was _how_. Was it by the product of a miracle? A curse? For someone such as her either could have proven to be the case. Someone who…

She shook her head as those darker thoughts once again tried to take hold. The thoughts of comrades she had come to accept as sisters, girls whose voices she'd likely never hear again. She was supposed to have grown past this. Mogami had made her promise...

Whatever the reason, it didn't change her primary goal. Regardless of who – or what – she was, something told her she still had an admiral to follow, hopefully someone who could answer the many questions she had, most prominently why _she_ had been brought back in particular. Right now though, she had to admit she looked like a mess – her eyebrows scrunching in a grimace as she noticed how uncomfortable it was wearing wet clothing – and that certainly wasn't doing her any favors. Perhaps she could accept that boy's hospitality, at least a little.

Of course, it was only then her face lit up in embarrassment at the realization she was lost again. All the doors looked the same, how was she supposed to determine which one was the bathroom? In fact, why was that boy living in such a large home seemingly on his own anyway?

Unwilling to go back to get further instruction, she began her search by opening doors at complete random. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to her of the problems that came with such a method until it was far too late.

"Eh?"

It took a few minutes, but she did eventually find it. What she had overlooked, was that someone was already there. She seemed to be in the half-stages of getting undressed, skirt pooled at her feet and hands in the process of removing a button-up to reveal her shoulders. The water still dripping from the other girl's hair made it apparent she'd been no more fortunate in this weather than she herself.

The girl's head turning to face her, brown eyes blinked in surprise, before some form of recognition seemed to set in. Then she tilted her head as if pondering something, before stating in a voice that matched the dull tone of her eyes.

"Ah. Another one."

…that was when the destroyer realized she'd been staring.

"I'm sorry!"

Slamming the door shut, she couldn't understand the reason she had her arm crossing her chest so protectively.

* * *

An earnest apology, and a quick shower later, Shigure found herself at the dining table sitting next to a scene she again wasn't quite sure how to process. Then again, she'd all but lost count of how many of those there'd been by this point.

She was no stranger to the idea of girls taking the time to care for their appearance. While she could never recall a time she'd ever seen another woman aboard her old hull, sometimes all her sailor's had time to do was talk about their lives at home. Wives, sweethearts, family. Every one of them seemed to have a girl waiting for them back home, and inevitably each one got to the point that all he could do was talk about those who were waiting for him. From those stories, she'd made her own assumptions of what it must've been like, but if she were honest with herself she'd never imagined something like this.

"Honestly Kaga, how many times do I have to tell you to stay indoors if it's raining? At the very least you could've grabbed an umbrella."

"They were all taken. Taiga was rather frustrated about that, and left for her office to get some work done for once. Since classes ended, there was no point in remaining there any further. Besides, I don't see what the problem is. I returned without issue, and this way I got home first. You know what that means, Shirou. The appetizer is mine."

He sighed in a manner one only could when faced with something they knew from experience was a lost cause. This would likely not be the last time they had this conversation.

The unusual part was the manner in which he was tending to her hair with a comb as he did so.

Well, it needed to be addressed at some point. "Um, Sir? Is it usual for men to do stuff like this?" From what she'd seen already, he cooked, he cleaned, he'd dropped off her clothes dried and laundered at some point without her notice, and it looked like he took care of hair now too. From what she had understood, those were traditionally all jobs of the woman of the home.

He stopped, looking to her like he had an answer on his tongue, before of all things looking away with some kind of pout.

"Wasn't exactly my choice. You can thank the manipulations of a certain little freeloader, supported by the efforts of her much larger compatriot. I'd never trust my kitchen to either of them, and it seems because of that lately they've gotten even worse." At that point, he noticed the manner the other girl – Kaga, was it? – was growing more fidgety at his lacking attention, and with a resigned smile he got back to his previous task.

"Then I made the mistake of letting Kaga go to bed with her hair still wet once. Fuji-nee practically piledrived me into the floor for that one, because apparently, it was _my_ fault such a thing happened. Granted, it wasn't exactly Kaga's either since she didn't know better, but considering that guardian of mine would have no way of knowing that I don't know how _she_ came to that conclusion. Then Ayako got herself involved, with this _really_ creepy look in her eye, before…"

She wasn't honestly sure if he was still answering her question by this point, or merely taking the opportunity to vent. Yet despite that he never ceased with his task, only placing the comb down to grab some kind of device she'd never seen before. Though Shigure had no way of knowing the name, turning on the hairdryer in one hand Shirou began drawing his fingers through the brunette's hair, making doubly sure he didn't miss any knots.

For her part, Kaga quietly reveled in the attention.

It wasn't hard for the destroyer-in-disguise to understand why. Despite his complaints, it was apparent this Shirou character felt no actual misgivings for the role placed upon him. He all but gave it away by the soft smile growing on his lips as he continued to talk of the various women in his life – of which there seemed to be an unusually large number – and the burdens they each placed on him. Contrary to his words, he enjoyed doing all of this, didn't he?

"…and yeah, turns out Ayako has this surprisingly soft feminine side to her. She punched me when I told her as much. She does that a lot. Thanks to that, Fuji-nee wouldn't stop calling her a tsundere, until Ayako started fighting fire with fire. Which reminds me… never call Fuji-nee 'tiger', okay?"

Saying that, he finished by bringing the girl's hair into a side-ponytail, which for her part Shigure found to be surprisingly fitting. She admittedly had her doubts upon first seeing it, but she couldn't deny the end result. Whether through talent or merely repetition, he was good at stuff like this.

With a gentle prod, the other girl got up from the cushion from which she'd been kneeling, before he caught the destroyer completely off-guard by ushering her over. Was she supposed to be next? Yet before she could offer up any uncertainties, she found herself acting on autopilot, obeying the suggestion. She was in front of him before she could even recall getting up.

Only a few minutes later however, "Hey, Shigure? You don't happen to know how to braid your hair like it was before, do you?"

She shook her head, embarrassed to realize that to her irony she actually _didn't_. All of her inner criticisms and… well, she'd just made for the perfect image of a hypocrite, didn't she?

He sighed. "I thought as much. I'll be right back then. I think there was a section on such a thing in that book Ayako forced me to buy."

Again, before she could say anything he left, moving along to his own agenda and leaving her alone with the other girl yet again. Thinking positively, perhaps it would be a good opportunity to get to know the girl better than what she had gleaned from their rather disastrous first meeting.

"I guess this means he did find another one. Just like he promised." It appeared she wasn't the only one to think so.

"Excuse me?"

The brunette shook her head, "It's nothing. Just reminding myself of yet another debt I owe, even if I doubt he'd ever accept it. Shigure, was it?"

She nodded, to which the other girl stood, walking over to extend a hand. "Nice to meet you. If you didn't catch on already, you can call me Kaga. I guess you could say my situation is one similar to your own, a stray Shirou found and took in. I look forward to getting along with you."

Kaga. Her impression was that it had to be unrelated, a mere coincidence, but no ship worth her salt who had taken action in that war wouldn't know the name. One of the carriers to take part in the opening attack on Pearl Harbor that had started everything, and even more famously one of the tragic losses of the disaster at Midway. Or the beginning of the end, as one of her captains had once said.

"Likewise," she responded, taking the extended olive branch while doing her best to smile in an attempt to keep old memories from surfacing.

Kaga returned a small grin of her own, one that brought about the feeling she was laughing at a joke only she understood. "Just so you know, he's not normally this talkative. I have yet to figure out the reasons why, but he always seems to open up like that in moments such as this. Usually, he's a lot more reserved."

She didn't need any clarification of who she was talking about. Though she did wonder why she was telling her that. She intended to ask as much, but…

"Shirou~!"

...she was interrupted by the appearance of yet another woman, one whose appearance seemed to root Kaga in place. As if that weren't odd enough, the next thing she knew Shirou was running into the room like the hounds of hell were on his heels, giving her a quick series of short orders that almost had her head spinning trying to keep track of them. Never in her life could she recall someone changing expressions from comforting to absolutely panic-stricken in so short a time.

A short moment later she was introduced to one Taiga Fujimura, who – she had to admit – had mastered a beautiful roundhouse technique. She made sure to help Kaga remove Shirou from the wall after the fact.

* * *

"Difficulty sleeping?"

"A little. All of this is just so… is it really alright for me to stay here?"

Kaga wasn't sure how to answer that question. In all honesty, it was one she still struggled with herself.

Once he managed to calm Taiga down in the manner only he had the talent to, Shirou managed to convince her that their newest arrival was as much in need of a home as she had been. Similarly, he spun a tale of what she figured was a mixture of truths and untruths, centered on the increasing alarm in the news reports of late. Apparently, Shigure was now the sole survivor of one of those many ships that went missing, suffering from a convenient case of amnesia that prevented her from remembering anything of the event and therefore unable to answer any questions.

For her part, the destroyer had played her part as the vulnerable victim so well that by the end of the explanation it was Taiga herself demanding she stayed.

All sarcasm aside, it wasn't a difficult story to believe. Disappearances were becoming increasingly frequent, to the point that the Coast Guard and even JMSDF were being called into the search. This was obviously far more than just the standard list of annual disappearances, and the carrier had the impression her admiral had an idea of what was really going on. Despite that, he had yet to voice any thoughts on the matter, and she had no other intention than to respect his silence. She knew as well as anyone he'd be the first to jump to the rescue the moment there was something he could do about it.

For now though, she had a newly-summoned destroyer to comfort. If she could first ignore the discomforting mutterings of the sleeping giant immediately to her left that is. One of the unfortunate terms Taiga had been firm on before she acquiesced to the Shiratsuyu class staying.

Thinking about that, an idea struck her. Actually, maybe getting some fresh air was just the answer the girl needed.

"It's not my place to say, but I can think of something else that might give you the answers you want."

After passing the laughably easy task of getting past their self-assigned chaperone, the other kanmusu quietly followed her as they made their way to the yard, and more specifically the shed that sat on the far side of it. The earlier storm had cleared by this point, but neither girl paid much interest to the night sky revealed above them.

However, as she opened the door, the light was just enough she didn't need any help in seeing the mess that was within. It was ironic to her in multiple ways, in seeing just how disorganized his personal space was, when in comparison she saw the daily efforts Shirou went to in keeping the rest of his home clean, made harder thanks to certain freeloaders. She always felt there was some deeper significance there. Likely to do with the fact that the small space was just as much the center to her admiral's training, as it was the one place he seemed to be truly at peace.

Understanding the weight of that significance to the boy she regarded as her admiral, it should've come as no surprise it'd become a place of rest for her as well. Whether or not the original owner was present.

While behind her Shigure appeared to be holding back even more questions than she had before, the carrier strode purposely forward to a shelf where she knew her goal sat, the contents now a collection that spanned several bookcases. Arranged there were a row of carriers, small differences between their hulls if one knew what to look for, while there at the end sat…

…okay, that wasn't here last time.

Despite how odd it was to see a miniature version of her old hull, she had always felt some small appreciation for what it symbolized. In the short time she had been with her admiral there was one thing about him she had come to understand with certainty. He never laughed, at least not truly. While she could recall him chuckling on rare occasions, it always sounded so forced, like he was simply trying to emulate what he saw everyone else doing. Frankly, it was… rare, for him to value anything on a personal level. It didn't pass her what it meant that even now he continued to treat these simple toys with such care.

As for what that meant to her? To know she was still remembered, that she and her sisters had at least left their mark on _somebody_? It almost brought her a sense of purpose to all of those battles that had never been her own. In a lot of ways, that was enough.

However, gone was the childish craftsmanship and the cheap shine of plastic. While the model was still there, she could hardly call it a _toy_ anymore. In fact, while there were still a few inaccuracies remaining due to the scale alone, it was a perfect replica. When did this happen? She couldn't recall Shirou buying any additions as of late, and it was only a few days since she'd been here last.

As it was, the answer happened to be right in front of her. More jarring than any of that, were the series of doll-like figures standing on the deck and around the hull. One of them hung off the side wearing welding gear of all things, even now attaching additional plating over the exposed frame. Two others seemed to be having a silent conversation as they carried crates of what she could only assume to be ammunition. Meanwhile, yet another had turned to face her, giving a salute upon noticing her attention.

Fairies? While she certainly wasn't a stranger to the little gals – her own pilots were always awaiting her beck-and-call – this wasn't the task she remembered giving these ones. She had no doubt they were hers, but this was far more than the secret vigil she had asked of them. Were they operating under someone else's orders? Was that even possible?

Unfortunately, those were questions she'd have to wrestle with at another time; because at that moment, a small coo next to her reminded the carrier that she wasn't alone. In the time she'd been distracted, the black-haired destroyer had snuck up behind her, and even now was admiring the little workers from behind her shoulder. That is, until a blush lit up her cheeks when she noticed she'd grabbed Kaga's attention.

Taking a step back, that same look of wonder never left her eyes as she looked at the rest of the fleet that had been gathered here, of which only a few had her admiral actually paid for himself. Say what you would about the Fujimura heiress, but it couldn't be denied the effort she had exerted in order to support one of the few hobbies her faux little brother had ever expressed interest in. It was one of the few reasons the woman still had her respect despite all her other eccentricities.

It was Shigure who finally broke the silence between them. "These, are they all…?"

"I'm sure you've already seen it a bit yourself, but for as long as I've known him Shirou has always dreamed of being a hero. The thing is, he has no idea how he's supposed to go about such a thing, but at some point he got it in his head that the answer was to begin learning military strategy. The thing to know about Shirou, is that there's nothing he's above doing if he thinks it'll help someone, but I guess you could say that naiveté of his is just another thing that makes him so easy to trust."

The brunette continued, "I'm not sure when he grew so invested in it, but something attracted him to the tactics used in the second great war. I'm not sure it's my place to explain it, but something gives Shirou an unusual affinity for the sea, so perhaps it was only natural he'd be drawn to such naval battles. What you see is the result of that."

Her expression tightened as Shigure pondered the meaning behind that. Kaga had no manner to influence the destroyer's thoughts, lacking the necessary charisma for such a task, but as a fellow shipgirl, she felt this was the best way for her to communicate the type of character her admiral carried. Sighing, the girl began reaching towards the same model Kaga herself was so familiar with, before stopping and looking to her as if to ask permission.

It was never hers to give, so with a shrug she moved over to give the other girl space. With a small smile of thanks, the other kanmusu traced a hand along the display that now stood out amongst the others, the fairies that were aboard packing their stuff and giving her plenty of room.

Then as if struck by static, a jolt ran down the entirety of the carrier's spine, her eyes widening as she recognized the feeling as that of a pulse of her admiral's magic. She immediately looked to the other girl once regaining her bearings, and if the way Shigure had brought her hand back to hold against her chest was any indication, she hadn't been the only one to feel it.

That's when Kaga also noticed the tears gathering in the corners of Shigure's eyes as she whispered, "You're…? He…? Shirou's my admiral?"

Now it was the carrier's turn to sigh. She had no idea what just happened, in fact it was probably above her head anyway, but it seemed that whatever had been botched in the destroyer's summoning – whatever it was that had prevented her from recognizing Shirou for who he was in their first meeting like she herself had – had been corrected to what it should've been.

"Yes." Kaga nodded. There was nothing else to say really.

The other girl's expression was difficult to read in response to that answer. Happiness, disbelief, shame. It seemed to be a mixture of all of that and more. While she wasn't apathetic to the girl's situation, the carrier held herself back from thoughts of assistance, mostly because matters of raw emotion such as this were still beyond her understanding. The other girl ended up lowering her head in a manner that had her hair shadow her eyes, while one of her hands rose to touch the braid that hung over her shoulder.

The same braid Shirou had remade for her only a few hours ago.

Shigure asked in a hollow voice, "He understood who I was from the beginning, didn't he?"

Though the change was slight, almost indistinct, brown irises nonetheless grew soft as she replied, "I can't say I can read what the Admiral's always thinking, but I imagine so. Contrary to what it may seem, he's not one to casually invite strangers into his home. In your case specifically though, he's likely to end up doing far more than what's necessary. Just like he did for me. As I imagine he would and will for any of our sisters who come after this."

"Then you really are…?" Raising her head, blue eyes widened with wonder. Strange. Had she really left this much of an influence behind on the girls who had continued the fighting after Midway?

"Aircraft carrier Kaga, of the 1st carrier division, reporting."

As the other girl fumbled in her attempts to respond, the carrier found herself entertaining the unusual desire to hug the smaller girl. Even for one as cold as her, the embarrassed blush growing on her cheeks, added to her already soft appearance and natural timidity collected to paint an impression of the destroyer that was almost uncomfortably adorable. It was possible that may have even been the reason the Admiral…

A flash of heat suddenly burned in her chest, and quite out of nowhere the brunette felt the incredible urge to protect her master from forces she didn't understand. Or at least that's what she told herself. Though it faded as soon as it came, such bursts of emotion were outside of her nature, and that in turn left her with a vulnerability that had her wanting to be at Shirou's side for an entirely different purpose than protection.

"Kaga?" However, her personal conflict hadn't gone unnoticed.

Kaga sighed, frustrated to find her chaotic emotions refused to abate. A concern she had never had to deal with as a spirit. "It's not easy, is it? Learning what it means to be human."

Though at first she appeared unsure of what to say, Shigure once more displayed her lack of the same troubles as her colder self, a bitter expression forming on her lips as she flinched as if struck. Grimacing, with a forlorn look in her eye the destroyer looked out to the night sky behind her. "You could say that. Ever since I awoke my emotions, thoughts, old memories, all seem to dictate my actions. It all seems like it's running beyond my reach without any input of my own."

"Most of all, I have to ask the question: Why did he choose me? Why was I the one who was given a second chance?"

Facing her back as she was, Kaga came to a realization, one that might have answered the other girl's doubts. This shipgirl and her admiral, they both shared the same look in their eyes. The same weight on their shoulders. Though she felt that, it wouldn't be until much later that she'd figure out just what that was.

The burden of those who had lived on.

* * *

"Tia, we need to talk. About a lot of things."

He couldn't tell if it had something to do with their contract, or if it was merely a part of her personality, but ever since that first meeting the little goddess' attempts at sneaking into his bed were close to unceasing. Though he'd made futile attempts to bring it up in the past, she'd always throw him off with those Cheshire grins of hers, calling it 'training'. Like with many things concerning his odd partner, he'd long ago decided it was probably better not to ask any further.

Frankly, he was just glad she'd taken up the tiniest decency to do so while wearing pajamas. An oversized thing Taiga had brought home once, modeled like a dragon in a manner only a child could appreciate. Tia had fallen in love with it at first sight.

Though she'd been missing awhile – most likely in some events that were far too troublesome for even him to consider getting involved – something in their contract told him she'd return tonight. Whatever it was, like it seemed to be with a lot of these impressions he was having lately, it'd been right. It was a confrontation he'd been trying to avoid, but Shigure's recent appearance took all of those reservations and threw them out the nearest window. He couldn't afford to put this off any longer. As their admiral, it was his responsibility to understand their situation.

So instead of lying in his bed, he sat off to the side, waiting for her to show up.

"Shirou? To see you waiting so expectantly, don't tell me," and there it was, one of those teasing smiles of hers she'd give him just before attempting to change the subject, "have you finally succumbed to your basest desires? Fallen to the temptations of your lolicon…"

"Tia, be straight with me." He cut her off before she got any further, unwilling to deal with her usual wordplay this time. Pulling out the pendant from underneath his shirt, he got straight to the point of everything. "What the _hell_ does this thing do?"

Like that, her expression changed. Replaced by that serious demeanor of hers that he'd come to understand was more in line with her true personality. "Hm? Now isn't that interesting. Let me see that."

He did so, choosing to ignore the manner the girl used the opportunity to sit next to him, lifting his arm to snuggle up into the space at his side. After a minute or so of rubbing her hand across the item though, her eyes grew unsettled, further proof that his growing suspicions had been right somewhere down the line.

"Well… I don't recall ever telling it to do that."

"It's more than just that," he added, "today I ran into a girl who I'm pretty certain is another kanmusu. The thing is, I ran into her on the street. No ritual, no magic. Beyond that, unlike Kaga did in our first meeting I still don't think she recognizes me. I thought you said I needed access to some sort of 'catalyst' to bring these girls back, a fragment of their old hull or some such that they'd have a connection to? So what happened differently here?"

The look she was giving him was suddenly a lot more sheepish. "Hehe, yeah. Looks like I was a bit mistaken on that. Things are traveling so fast now even I don't know where they're headed."

He stuck with glaring at her, wordlessly demanding an elaboration. It felt like the most appropriate thing to do when hearing such an evasion of responsibility.

"Do you know what an Authority is, Shirou?"

"You've mentioned it before. It's what's forming our own contract, right? What I use to bring these shipgirls back to life?" He glanced down at his hand, to where that strange sigil even now gave off a pale glow.

"Well, you're not wrong, but you're not entirely right either. Authorities are strange things. They grow and develop over time, slowly adapting just as any other part of the body does, but in this case it's only a few of the most powerful who possess them. There is no logic or process behind them. They simply are, and can do that which they do on the logic that their owners have that right, earned or not. Unfortunately, in your case this power isn't your own, and as such even I can't begin to hypothesize what it might do."

"So you're saying that it can do anything? That it has no limits or restraint?" It should've been obvious he'd have a problem with that. History gave clear warnings of the effects of absolute power, and if that power wasn't even within his ability to control…

"While that's not entirely true, in fact what I'm saying is that it just operates on different rules than you do, I suppose that summary is close enough. After all, that is the power of a Divine Spirit, Shirou. Keep in mind they're called gods for a reason. It's likely because of that power gap that the Age of Gods reached its end in the first place. The rules have changed since then, and keep in mind one of them is that I can only maintain form like this while my own existence is tied to yours. Living in the Age of Man is no simple task for one such as I."

"Of course, I should warn you that all of that is nothing more than speculation. To answer your question, my best guess is that outside of the standard summoning procedures, my Authority has also made for the possibility of your influence bringing about… harmonic encounters. Not all summonings use a catalyst, Shirou. Some souls are quite frankly so compatible that their bond is already strong enough as to not need one. Whoever this most recent acquisition is, it's likely she needs you just as much as you do her."

He pondered the meaning of that for a while. He'd already made such observations himself, hadn't he? Still, to hear that it was because of that similarity that he'd managed to summon her, that Shigure's appearance might not be an exception? That was something else entirely.

His thoughts were interrupted however as Tia chose that moment to giggle, and looking over to her he took note that the emotion in her eyes was a bit warmer than it usually was. If he had to call it anything, he almost would've sworn it was… pride.

"As for why you couldn't sense any magic siphoned in her summoning? That's a far easier question. Your own aptitude has simply risen to the point you no longer notice it as anything more than the regular demands Kaga and I place on you. Congratulations, Little One. In a few more weeks you might be finally able to call yourself a true novice of a magus."

"What?" Well, this wasn't a turn in the conversation he'd been expecting.

His companion merely replied with more giggling. Whether it was for the same reasons as before, or because of the dumbstruck look on his face was anybody's guess at this point. When she calmed down, she continued, "With regards to the other question I imagine you have, it's probably best if I just show you. Take it, I think I made things clear enough even for someone as dense as you to understand."

She handed him back the pendant, earning her a raised eyebrow for her efforts. When he complied, he failed to see any immediate difference, before she encouraged him to think of the girls under his care.

Wait, what was that?

It was a small, easily missable thing, but it was because of that – as well as because of just how out of place it was – that he noticed it. Looking at the weight that now rested in his lap, standing there was quite possibly one of the strangest things he had ever seen.

His first impression was a doll, cartoonish in appearance, with a disproportionately large head compared to the rest of its body. It couldn't have been anything more than 10 cm tall, with black hair reaching just past its tiny shoulders. Wearing the full white dress of a naval officer, it stood at salute, staring at him with what had to be the greatest reverence he'd ever seen in its black eyes.

"I believe I heard Kaga call them 'fairies.' A fitting name I suppose. I can only guess that by the idiotic look on your face this is your first time seeing one. I assume the carrier didn't feel it was important enough to share with you," came an explanation from his side.

"Though I can only speculate at this point, they appear to be a manifestation of weapons and equipment, the connection that lets kanmusu summon their rigging at will as you've seen before. This one, however, is a bit special. To put it simply, she has no master, at least not yet. Hers is a purpose above that of her sisters."

"By the way, this is the part where you figure out I'm talking about you."

He spared her a glare for whispering that last comment. As for the fairy in front of him, she began to wilt under his gaze, her stance loosening as she began to shift from side to side. Noticing her embarrassment, he did the first thing that came to mind, reaching a hand out to pat her head. He held back a grin at the wide-eyed expression that got him, the same one he'd likely given her when she appeared. Yeah, this would probably turn out fine.

"So I guess you're here to help me, huh? Thanks, I think. Just… help me to keep them safe, alright? They've done enough fighting already."

She stared at the hand he offered her for several seconds in confusion, before her eyes widened in some kind of realization. Surprising him, with what had to be one of the happiest, tiniest smiles he had ever seen, she ignored the handshake entirely to jump forward to embrace his wrist instead.

He heard giggling at his side. "Looks like she's been waiting for this. As a creation of that pendant listening to your will to become a proper admiral, I imagine she's been trying to get your attention for a while. I suppose you could say I just sped up the process a little."

This time, when she let go of his arm, the fairy's figure held far more determination than it had before. He didn't know what to expect next, so it certainly caught him off guard when she cupped her hands around her mouth, crying out in a silent call for reasons unknown. That's when he felt additional weight on his shoulders, and looking to his sides he found that two others had appeared.

The first was a brunette dressed like she was about to go on some kind of safari. On her back were several bundles of rolled paper – a compass, protractor, and several drawing utensils hanging from a miniature tool belt – while another she had opened in front of her, drawing what appeared to be a floor plan of his home? A cartographer?

The other was of a far more obvious occupation. Sporting a stereotypical sailor uniform and grey ponytail reaching all the way to her feet, this one was wearing a pair of headphones, an antennae twice her height strapped to her back, with a little radio hanging from her shoulder like some kind of new fashion statement. A radioman, then.

Before he could ask what was going on, the three nodded to each other, the two on his shoulders disappearing into motes of light. Disoriented, he briefly closed his eyes, only to find when he opened them again that there was something that definitely hadn't been there before.

 **[Kaga\\\Standard Carrier\\\Rank 2]  
** **Status: 100%  
** **Fuel: 83% -** **—** **—** **—** **—** **—-** **Morale: 92%  
** **Armor: Rank C —** **—** **—-** **Evasion: Rank D  
** **Aircraft: Rank B+ —** **—** **Anti-Air: Rank C  
** **Luck: Rank D  
** **Current Mood: Jealousy  
** **={Ready for Sortie}=**

 **[Shigure\\\Destroyer\\\Rank 1]  
** **Status: 100%  
** **Fuel: 95% -—** **—** **—** **—** **—-** **Morale: 47%  
** **Armor: Rank E —** **—** **—-** **Evasion: Rank A+  
** **Cannons: Rank D —** **—** **Anti-Air: Rank C+  
** **Torpedo: Rank D —** **—** **Anti-Sub: Rank C  
** **Luck: Rank A++  
** **Current Mood: Regret  
** **={Warning: Low Morale}=**

Like a page torn out of a book, data and model diagrams appeared before his eyes, and it only took a second for him to recognize it as the same he'd seen when he'd accidently caught Kaga with his structural analysis, except now he found it prioritized into a few categories. It also served to erase any lingering doubts he had of Shigure's true identity.

Just as he was making sense of it however, he found that his vision was again replaced now by a map of the country. He couldn't distinguish what its purpose was, but the bold lettering "DATA INSUFFICIENT" stretched across the image gave him at least the clue that he was missing something. In addition to that, the intentions of these fairies was becoming clearer.

Then another switch occurred just as quickly as the previous, with his sight returning but with one minuscule difference. Namely that same antennae he'd noticed before was now strapped to his own head, sitting just behind his right ear in what he could only assume gave the appearance of some kind of improvised headset.

With that, they appeared to be finished with the disorienting demonstration they were giving him, the two fairies regaining form to share high fives with the one who had remained in his lap this entire time. They soon disappeared, leaving the little command fairy alone once more, who soon enough was staring up at him with new apprehension.

Had this been all an attempt to show him what she could do?

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Can't say that's what I was expecting, but I guess I should be getting used to surprises by now anyway. Doesn't seem like they'll be stopping anytime soon, at any rate. No doubts thanks to the one next to me. Is there… anything else you want to show me?"

The fairy took her time answering that question, holding a small arm underneath her chin in thought. It wasn't the easiest matter to understand her silent responses, but she was clear enough when her cheeks suddenly lit up in a radiant blush, her arms held behind her back as she stared at her feet in embarrassment.

As if that weren't ominous enough, he almost did a spit-take when she began to _fly_. Lifting off the ground to head towards the small desk he kept just beneath his window. He had no clue what to expect when she opened and dove into one of the drawers, but when she emerged in her hands were a pad of sticky notes and a pen as tall as herself.

Landing back in her original spot, she began writing, hiding whatever it was while peeking suspiciously at him over her shoulder every few moments. When she was done, she held the pad tightly to her chest, looking to him with uncertainty in her black eyes. After a minute spent in silence expectation, she apparently made up her mind, turning the note to show it to him while holding it over her face, possibly to prevent her from seeing his reaction.

 **1\. I should check up on the girls.  
** **2\. Call it a night?  
** **3\. Give the adorable fairy more head pats?**

…what?

When his brain finished its reboot, the note still hadn't changed, so he decided the best course was his tried and true solution. He held his head in exasperation, glaring through his fingers at the little girl next to him who by this point had rolled onto her side in laughter. He could see the connection with the last two, but what was that first option supposed to be about?! This was another one of her ideas, wasn't it?

Through her constant laughter, he heard a choked, "To be fair, I *pfft* I did once call her your best wingman."

Apparently, he wasn't glaring hard enough.

When Tia calmed down, that insufferable smirk was once more on her lips as she explained, "While she's capable of calling her other sisters for any other tasks that might come up, she herself is specialized in one thing in particular. She shares the same bond with you the other shipgirls do, and that in turn allows her some limited means into understanding their stronger thoughts and emotions."

"As for the list, I'll admit to that idea being my own influence. It seemed appropriate. You Japanese seem to have an odd fixation on those romance games of yours."

He contemplated that far longer than he probably should have. "What… exactly have you been getting up to when I leave you alone?"

"Things."

His sanity demanded he not inquire any further.

That said, he was also hardly in the position to argue. Namely because of the small fairy currently sitting in front of him who was all but melting as he continued to brush her hair. Frankly, he needed the distraction.

"Outside of dating advice, I believe this is also her way of discussing strategy with you. More so than your romantic advisor, her role is to ease the leadership responsibilities on your shoulders. But you're still an idiot. How many times will I have to tell you, I wonder? The only way you'll keep these girls safe from corruption is by building your relationship with them. What moves have you made to get closer to Kaga since meeting her?"

He had no answer to that. There wasn't one.

"My point exactly." She sighed, getting up to her feet. "With that, I believe your newest friend made a good point that rest would do us both a lot of good. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight. I imagine you have enough to think about."

Yet just as she reached the door, "Oh, and Shirou?"

"Yeah?"

The abrupt coldness in her grey eyes drove a shiver up his spine, childish dragon pajamas or no. "I've been looking into those disappearances of late. I think we both understand they're more than they seem. Be careful. Don't jump into anything you can't handle."

With that she departed, leaving him to ponder what she meant by that last comment. In the end, instead, a strange thought of an entirely different matter occurred to him.

Was it just him, or had she gotten taller?

* * *

As the country of Japan slept, a certain creature just outside the range of its shores awoke.

Hmm?

Eyes of an orange glow drifted in curiosity, eventually falling upon the one that had disturbed it.

She was small, though most things were when compared to itself. Almost human in appearance, there were a few key factors that clearly said she was anything but. Pale skin that was almost white in tone, her arms and legs covered in some kind of black carapace. With hair the same color as her skin, what seemed to be some kind of giant mollusk that flared with a cold hellfire sat on her head like some sort of demented hat.

Apparently, she had once been what the humans called an 'aircraft carrier'. A spirit now released from her decrepit metal coffin. One of many by this point.

They called it 'father'. _He_ only felt to at least respond in kind.

He was still surprised with how well their nature had responded to his own. So burdened with hatred and grief were they that corruption had been simple, almost unnecessary. They had quickly made their ranks among his favorite vessels, for though they were restricted to the sea like himself, their versatility was second to none.

So far they'd performed marvelously in attracting worthy prey into his waters. For humans were so easily fooled. More than one of their craft, including all their crew, had been consumed in the past month.

Their other task was no less successful, this country easily being made into new territory. With the number of uninhabited islands, establishing bases of operation had been a simple process. Though there were the occasional oddities he ran into, fools trying to run from their society, dealing with them had taken little effort to speak of. Best of all, they would not be missed.

The issue was that keeping these girl's appetites in check was becoming… taxing. Already it had become apparent the humans were growing wise that something was amiss, yet the time in which that might've warranted some manner of caution had long passed. Preparations would be ready soon. Then the real expansion would begin.

For the moment he rested, not to be disturbed unless unexpected complications arose. So the fact he was awake could only mean…

" _What is it."_ came the deep growl in an alien tongue. Not a question, but an order.

The servant moaned in what sounded like anguish, though to him it was nothing but mere conversation. Interesting. So the humans were finally doing something in retaliation, huh? It was about time. This lull of calm was growing tiresome. His scouts had done their duty, and it had been some time since he'd put on a display of his power. He'd rested forgotten for long enough.

From his chest echoed a low rumble that wasn't loud, but neither had to be. The sound of the waking of an old giant that would've turned the blood of any man who heard it cold as ice. In response, from the depths even further below him rose creatures of all varieties, and like infernal schools of fish, they began to gather and swim around him in parties.

Many were as a whole expendable, meant to overwhelm their opponents not through power but number, attacking from both water and air. Small imps with the appearances of broken shell, made of more teeth than they were flesh, and capable of matching any aircraft in both speed and technique. Next to them were what looked to be misshapen dolphins and serpents, creatures made of black muscle with cannons instead of tongues.

As for the rest, humanity had always been his greatest enemy, and so it only seemed appropriate for many of the creatures to resemble grotesque parodies of their land brethren. Vanguards meant to just as much demoralize as they were to cut a path.

Admittedly, the majority were just distortions of grey flesh and dark monolithic bodies, black titans with luminescent eyes similar to his own. Among them were those with both fins resembling fish, and forearms thick as tree trunks. There were behemoths that had heads with faces that were nothing more than oversized mouths, revealing gigantic molars more dangerous than any compactor. Each of course carried an array of imposing weaponry, some with upwards to half a dozen guns and other armaments on their backs.

In lead of all of that were those similar to the girl who continued to drift in front of his eyes. For some reason they all adopted the female gender, and even more curiously wore clothing of one sort or another to protect their modesty. Apparently regardless of how far it spread there were things even his corruption couldn't change.

Surprisingly, some had even managed to retain their human tongue, a great benefit if for any reason he needed to interrogate a captive. He also recognized they were attractive enough to garner men's lusts, a tactic he could use in the case his corruption posed too much of a threat to potential puppets. In addition to all of that, they had the strength to lift boulders, intelligence to lead in his absence, and the firepower to match any modern navy.

To think, the idiots had left such useful tools half-buried in the ocean floor!

It was only right he compensate such generosity by burning down their cities.

With a wordless command, a few of the lower grunts broke off from the main pack, as it was unlikely their mission would require anything more. It wouldn't do to give the humans too much of an idea of what they were dealing with, but a warning was long overdue.

Once they disappeared in the dark of distant waters, he dismissed the rest, the whole spectacle nothing more than another chance to stroke his pride. There was no greater feeling than seeing the full assembly of what his power had wrought. The servant who had woken him left with the rest, and once more he found himself alone.

Truthfully, none of these precautions were necessary. His preparations were already underway, and once complete, it was likely nothing would be capable of stopping him. He'd already established communication with this 'Holy Grail' – or more specifically the being that dwelled inside it – and had made arrangements with it concerning the next cycle. All seven participants had already been chosen, but apparently, there were loopholes in the system that could be exploited. In fact, it seemed the victor of the previous ritual had already done so before him.

So what harm was there in adding another?

As the creature reassured itself of its superiority, let it be said that no mortal existence had ever been infallible. It was a fact that there were a few things he had overlooked in his arrogance. For one, he had not been as forgotten as he believed he was, and it just so happened that one had found a way to rival her powers with his.

Perhaps even more mysterious, there was no way an existence such as Angra Mainyu had remained unaware of his true intentions, and it was rather debatable that an equivalent to All the World's Evils would ever settle with relinquishing his power to another. So the question to be asked was…

Why had Avenger agreed?

Only two more years until war would begin once more, but for a certain admiral, such a thing would come much sooner.

* * *

End: For those of you who actually read the author's notes. No excuses sadly for the time it took for this one. A mixture of real life, college refusing to pull any of its punches, a lack of motivation, and of course the holiday festivities (or more specifically all the games that come with them). At this point I'd say probably expect nothing more than monthly updates from me, and in the chance we're both lucky I'll meet or even exceed those expectations with the next one.

Guess I should say something since after all this time all I have for you is a transition chapter, so for those of you hoping for more action, this chapter should mark the end of important mechanics as well as exposition I've wanted to establish for this crossover. Which means as of the next one our plot should begin with earnest. A bit of which I tried to show there at the end.


	4. First Contact

A/N: A thanks to the same guys from the last one responsible for checking my stuff so the rest of you don't get to see my mistakes.

Frankly, let me just be the first to mention I'm probably more surprised than you I got this next one out so fast. I'll thank Ever-Present Feeling and The Battle is to the Strong for setting the right mood I needed. Completely unexpected this soon, here's:

* * *

 **An Ocean's Sword  
** **Chapter 4  
** **Short of War (I) – First Contact**

–––––

Above the country of Japan, the fairy designated 'Saiun Model Number 329' by her sisters took another look out the window of her beloved aircraft. Currently passing over the Kyūshū prefecture, the little brunette currently wearing a blue school uniform pursed her lips as she once again failed to see anything pertaining to her mission.

Though she was currently flying with the morning sun to her back, she had little concern for anyone taking notice of her. Fortunately, to any citizens below, they'd likely wave off her appearance as that of just another remote toy of some kid. There were certainly some advantages that came with maintaining the full equipment of her predecessors despite her plane being no larger than the average hawk. It was especially useful in tasks like her current one.

She and a number of her other sisters had been assigned the task of reconnaissance, looking for any signs of resources that would bring a boost to their current forces. They had each been attached to territories surrounding the major harbors, the areas under highest suspicion for obvious reasons. Though 'looking' was a bit of an inaccurate term. In truth all they were doing was flying in circles, paying attention for any unexpected disturbances of magic in the local ley lines that might hint towards other catalysts.

If the lack of any radio chatter was anything to go by, none of them had been any more successful than she herself, and as to whose orders they were following?

They knew her as 'Central', and her commands may as well been their law, passed down directly from the 'Boss' himself. Thanks to that position even the girls who acted as their masters took a lesser place in priority, Saiun 329 and the rest of her unit going so far as to act directly under the orders of their fellow fairy; a personal unit, so to speak.

Her hand held loosely to the yoke, she leaned back in her seat, still attentive, if a bit unsatisfied, with what she was doing. The real problem was that none of them really understood what it was they _were_ doing, what they were looking for. For all they knew-

What?!

Her entire plane suddenly shook from heavy turbulence, and little fairy eyes grew wide with shock as she grabbed the controls with both hands. The danger passed just as quickly as it appeared, but there was hardly a cloud in the sky. In fact, the weather conditions were as prime as could be, so what exactly happened? Had she hit an unexpected cold front or…?

Looking out her window again, she found herself currently passing over a collection of warehouses that were a part of the Sasebo Naval District. It was likely just a coincidence, but well, it wasn't like she was doing anything else right now.

It was worth checking into, at the very least.

Relaying her situation over the radio, Saiun 329 pushed her yoke forward…

* * *

With the bell signaling the start of lunch break, Shirou opened his desk to grab the lunch he'd prepared that morning. It might only be a thing he'd made out of the scraps left over from Kaga's and Shigure's boxes, but sometimes simple meals like this were nice once awhile too.

"What the…!"

Only to find himself lurching forward as he stood up, the box's weight shifting unexpectedly in a manner that nearly had him lose hold of it. Shaking off the concerned glances of his classmates, he unwrapped the handkerchief and lifted the lid, only to find the sheepish eyes of a little fairy looking back at him.

' _Central?'_

That was the name she had given him when he'd gotten around to asking. His mind had been so disorganized in their first meeting he'd completely forgot. He found it fitting, especially after he was introduced to the respect she commanded from the others of her kind, and through her, him as well. Or was it the other way around?

It didn't really matter honestly. What did, however, was what she was doing hidden in his lunch. Closing the box and leaving the classroom, with a quick call to Ayako and Shigure he had to be somewhere, he headed for a place he could get some privacy. In the worst case he could pass her off as some kind of doll, but that would in turn only lead to other questions he didn't want to consider. His reputation was suffering enough already as it was.

He found himself standing next to a desk in an empty classroom, looking to Central who had hopped down and was currently scribbling on that notepad she carried with her. Was this the reason she had shown up? Another one of those decisions?

When he saw his options he immediately wrote off the first two as too mundane for her to go so out of the way, but the third was one he found rather suspicious.

 **Search for Kaga?**

Now that he thought about it, the carrier had left shortly before lunch had started. Normally he wouldn't be one to pry, but if he was reading into this correctly, was Central trying to tell him that's exactly what he needed to do?

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look."

Nodding, the fairy gave him a salute, before disappearing in the manner common to her and her many subordinates. Packing his stuff, he began navigating the busy hallways, a destination already in mind. There was only one place he could imagine she'd be other than at his side.

' _Just as I thought.'_

As he suspected, he found her in the archery dojo, surprisingly vacant despite the time of day. She stood at the far end of the deck floor, her school uniform replaced with the kyūdō attire in blue that made up her true identity as 'aircraft carrier Kaga'. In her hands was a bow fully drawn, her eyes focused forward, her stance a perfect example of the proper form. The calm wind that was blowing brushed against her usual ponytail, and with an ideal Japanese spring as her backdrop, he found himself momentarily awestruck.

In spending so much time together, he'd almost forgotten just how beautiful this girl was when she was in her element.

No illusion can last forever, though. Shaking his head with a look of resignation that said 'it can't be helped,' he interrupted, "You know you could get in trouble if anyone found you like this unsupervised, right?"

With a calm exhale, the carrier slowly released the tension in her bow, turning fully to face him, "Admiral? How long have you…?" Her eyes sought the clock they had hung up in the clubroom, her eyes widening an almost indecipherable amount when she saw what time it was. "I apologize. It hadn't been my intention to stay here for so long."

"I don't mind." He shrugged. "But I guess I am wondering what you're doing here in the first place. It's not usual I see you skipping out on meals like this."

In contradiction to his amused jab, the look in her brown eyes became troubled, and he considered the idea he might have said something that overstepped his bounds. As it was, it happened to be something else entirely.

"As usual, it's just as you say. Recently, I've been frustrated with a few things, matters that are outside of my control. I came here with the intention of calming my emotions, but I suppose I ended up slipping into old habits instead." Closing her eyes briefly, both the bow and her outfit disappeared in wisps of light, revealing the uniform she had still been wearing underneath. He looked over his shoulder just to make sure no one else had seen that. He'd have to remind her to be more careful in the future.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, as she walked up to his side and they made their way back to the main building.

"Just one. Shirou, what's a tsundere?"

He stopped, staring at her back in suspicion as the carrier continued walking. "Where is this coming from?"

This time she stopped as well, looking over her shoulder to answer, "When I tried to explain my feelings to Taiga she responded by telling me that 'tsundere characters are overrated'."

Fuji-nee… what exactly were you trying to put into this girl's head?

"Kaga, what was it that you told her?"

"A few things. Namely that whenever Shigure and I are in the same room, I've been uncomfortable. That whenever the two of you are together, I feel the strong urge to interrupt your conversations. The two of you have grown… close, in the short time you've been together, and I get the impression that I'm losing to her in a manner I don't understand. It's not a feeling I enjoy."

Her cheeks blushed lightly at the admission, averting her gaze to avoid meeting eyes with him, and in response, Shirou could only look back with an expression stuck somewhere between dumbstruck and troubled. "I… huh. I guess I've never considered the day I'd ever see _you_ getting jealous of someone."

"Admiral?"

He wasn't paying attention, continuing to mutter, "No, I guess now that I think about it, it makes sense. It might have only been my intention to help Shigure adjust since her summoning, but thanks to that we haven't talked much just between the two of us."

"Admiral." That time she didn't phrase it as a question.

"Hm? Oh, sorry." Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not really sure what to say that'd help, but I suppose I can always start with apologizing."

He started moving again, and as always she was quick to follow. "I think I know what's going on, and I also imagine it's mostly my fault." An old conversation of theirs came to his mind, back when this girl had first started to open up to him. He knew he was speculating, but was this her way of expressing her fear he'd replace her as more kanmusu found their way to his side?

Or was this just a reaction to her losing her place as his one and only shipgirl?

In either case… "As one of my closest friends, I can't let you go off thinking I keep you around just because you're useful to me or that I need you. Friendship isn't some kind of equal exchange of give-and-take. A long time ago, I made the mistake of thinking that, not realizing that kind of mentality only keeps people at arm's length. If it hadn't been for a certain classmate of mine knocking some sense into me when I really needed it, I imagine everyone would still just see me as some 'fake janitor' they could ask to solve all their problems."

Turning to the carrier as they walking back into the school, he gave her that encouraging grin of his that – far be it be known to him – had smitten more than one of his female classmates. "I'm probably the last person who has the right to say such a thing, but it's okay to be selfish once in a while."

As she continued to listen, if anyone saw her at that moment, the tenderness in her eyes, her growing reputation as Homurahara's ice queen would've likely disappeared in an instant. However, there was no one in sight, which was probably a good thing, as otherwise she'd have probably never considered…

"Kaga?"

He looked down, reacting as she grabbed the end of his sleeve. Though she had turned her face away from him, he could still see her looking at him from the corner of her eye, wordlessly asking for permission.

"As a friend, is it okay for me to rely on you like this?"

He didn't give an answer, but at that point, it wouldn't have meant much anyway. He instead kept walking forward, back to where their other friends were likely wondering where the two have them had gotten off to. Though he had no way of knowing such, it would be the first time the carrier took comfort in the idea that as long as she left everything to her admiral, things would always turn out okay.

She wouldn't be the last to think that.

What he did notice however was a small message appearing in his mind, one of the cues he recognized not as his own thoughts, but that clairvoyance given to him by the fairies offering him an insight into the shipgirls' status.

 **[Congratulations! Kaga's Rank Increased!]**

One of these days he'd make the mistake of asking what that ranking system was about, but for now, he was perfectly content to continue his living in ignorance.

* * *

"…and somehow, that got me into this situation."

"Shirou?"

"No, it's nothing, Shigure. Just reflecting on the weird transitions that happen in my life, and whether they're self-induced or just the effect of being the favorite plaything of some cosmic entity."

"I see." She didn't, but he appreciated her overlooking his acting out-of-character. A consequence of his attempts to ignore his current predicament.

He was alone, with a girl, going shopping. No Fuji-nee to supervise. Even he wasn't dense enough to miss the implications.

Granted, he hadn't planned for things to turn out this way. The expectation was that Ayako and Kaga were going to take part in the efforts of getting the most recent member of the Emiya household some new clothes, but in a twist of fate, he found himself heading for Shinto alone with the destroyer.

Speaking of which, her introduction in school earlier that day had almost been a sigh of relief compared to the unleashed chaos Kaga's had been. It probably helped he'd made sure _he_ was the one to come up with a fake family name this time, and that Shigure herself had the awareness not to mention she was living with him. It had also impressed him, that like the carrier before her, she'd had no difficulties taking the entrance exam, passing with flying colors in fact.

When he asked how, she merely replied with the vague answer that when you could perform multi-variable functions off the top of your head to account for wind velocity, the roll of ocean waves, and the distance to your target necessary for any firing solution, anything you found on a high school exam was at most a breath of fresh air in comparison.

He figured it was best to just take her word for it. That, and that the two girls living with him were apparently doing so far under their 'pay-grade.'

Of course, none of that had done anything to stop the suspicious glares he felt when people started to catch on that she stuck as close to his side as the carrier did during break times. Ayako's smirking didn't do anything to help matters. Neither did her new nickname for him. A sign she'd been talking with Fuji-nee too much lately.

Dammit, he was _not_ a harem protagonist.

Leaving aside the matter of his rapidly descending reputation, Shigure had adjusted well since her summoning. Between Kaga pioneering the same path beforehand and the destroyer's own endearing personality, helping these girls adapt to their new lives was becoming easier for him. He almost couldn't believe that less than a month ago he hadn't even known what kanmusu were.

Now he couldn't imagine a life without them.

As an example, it was difficult to look away from the girl who sat next to him on the bus seat they'd taken, her blue eyes wide with amazement as she looked out the window and took in the sights of a modern Japan. He often saw it with Kaga too, though respectively more subdued. The innocence both of them showed in their curiosity as they saw a world so different to the one they were used to.

The same innocence that had encompassed his childhood as he chased after his father.

The contrast between the two didn't escape him. For while these girls had been built for, walked through, and all fell to a burning hell, he had been born from it. Perhaps that had some effect on their compatibility, or perhaps it didn't, but in either case, those had undoubtedly been events that had shaped each of them into people who saw the world differently than most.

"Shirou?" This time, her tone was less confused and much more concerned.

He shook his head. "Sorry. Just burying myself in old burdens. Don't worry about it. Just something that happened a long time ago."

"If you say so, but if you ever want to talk…"

Nodding to her in appreciation, the rest of their ride passed in relative silence. As they got off just outside the shopping district, however, it occurred to him there was something in all of this he had overlooked.

Shigure nervously retreated to his side as she was faced with the crowds that walked Shinto in late afternoon. She was doing better since they'd first met, but handling the sight of this many people at once might've been asking too much. He still wasn't certain what to do about it either. It was apparent in the few times he had gotten her to open up that the destroyer wasn't naturally this shy. A bit soft-spoken for certain, but otherwise her personality gave the impression of someone who got along with others easily.

"You okay?" The most he could do at this point was try and offer her what comfort he could.

She gave a small smile, one meant to encourage herself just as much as him. "Yeah, it's just… I guess I wasn't expecting how many people there'd be."

"It's only natural, I think. It's only been a short while since you were brought back. Give it time. Until then, learn to lean on your friends. Kaga, Ayako, myself, even Fuji-nee if she's in one of her more reliable moments. Just don't make the mistake of trying to deal with it alone." It was a lesson he'd learned the hard way, involving more than a few good knocks to his head from an all-too-pushy older sister of his.

Slowly, a little white-haired goddess was doing the rest.

For Shigure's part, the tension was gradually easing from her shoulders, and though it was slow, it was also noticeable that her gait next to him had a bit more confidence behind it. That lasted for all of about ten minutes before they walked through the doors of the recently built shopping center, Verde.

There was a reason it was considered one of the largest in the city.

The destroyer stopped cold as they walked through the main doors, and yet when he looked back instead of the fear he was expecting, in her eyes shined an awe that made her previous interest smolder in comparison. He could only imagine what such a place would look like, from the eyes of a girl who'd lived during the last world war.

"Shigure."

It was a trick he'd picked up on recently, likely something ingrained into them through their nature as kanmusu. All he had to do was speak with some manner of authority backing his voice, and in either Kaga's or her case, they'd shake off any and all other distractions. It was no different this time, and after a quick shake of her head, a light blush colored the destroyer's cheeks when she noticed he was waiting on her.

He said with a teasing grin, "Well, sailor, let's see about getting you some new equipment."

From there it was more or less the same experience he'd had with Kaga and Tia, only this time it fell on his shoulders to pick out the outfits. In that field, while he was certainly no fashion expert, he'd gotten enough crash courses from Ayako on the subject over the years that he could at least tell the difference between what looked nice and what didn't.

One of the first things Ayako had taken upon herself as their friendship was still in its early stages was grab him and make sure she gave that whole stereotype of guys being unable to shop a firm kick to the curve. In the end, he'd gotten a list of fashion, hairstyling, and body care tips from the whole experience he was quick to deem as utterly useless.

Then Kaga had come along, and not only did he find the skills invaluable, he went back to his childhood friend for more.

Instead, she taught him a different lesson: To never doubt a woman's intuition, ever again.

As to the shopping itself, he wasn't sure if it was a fortunate thing or not, but like the carrier before her it was more difficult to find things his companion _didn't_ look attractive in. Keeping that in mind, rather than fall into any common mistakes, he went with some of the more simple choices. A blue button-up that complemented Shigure's eyes. A black skirt that matched the one she wore with her rigging. A white spaghetti strap for those occasional lazy days. It was a simple style, but anything more elaborate he'd leave to the professionals.

The same choice of which he made when it came to underwear. He didn't need to watch any of Fuji-nee's anime to know how badly that changing experience could turn out. It may have also been something of a contributing factor that he couldn't even look at a lingerie store without feeling the heat building in his cheeks.

The less said about what happened when his imagination betrayed him anyway and started switching the mannequins with the figures of his friends… yeah, he'd make sure to take that one to his grave.

Afterward, as the two of them were spending some idle time window shopping, one of the displays caught his attention. A shiny panel with several of the new tech products coming out: computer parts, media players, and televisions. Things he rarely paid much attention to these days, as the mechanical side of things had always appealed to him more than the electrical. Yet this time he stopped in front of a store he'd likely passed dozens of times before, the girl at his side now looking up at him in bewilderment.

Strange. He'd never placed much thought in buying a cell phone before, but now... for some reason, the thought wouldn't leave him.

The idea of buying one for himself didn't feel right, though, so it wasn't a matter of personal interest. His thoughts naturally drifted from himself to the shipgirl at his side, but wouldn't that be an even more impractical gesture? From what he could gather each kanmusu had at least basic radio as a part of their rigging, so communication shouldn't have been anything of a concern.

No, that wasn't true actually. In fact, he was thinking from the wrong perspective again. His ultimate goal was getting these girls to fit in, to make friends of their own eventually, so how were they supposed to talk to those people with equipment that would only invite the wrong questions? Not to mention he didn't even know if the two forms of communication were even compatible. He briefly thought about relying on his home phone, but if his number of residents kept increasing that'd only turn into a logistical nightmare, so he ruled that quickly out of the question.

"Shirou, are you troubled? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Upon seeing Shigure's earnest expression, an inquisitive tilt to her head, he tossed the matter aside and made his decision. Hadn't it been a while since he determined these girls had more than earned the occasional gift?

Let it just be mentioned he didn't even think to factor in the several bags of clothing he was already carrying. Those didn't count. Clothes were a necessity. Though he might've conveniently overlooked the fact his caretaker had a grandfather more than capable, and just as willing, to pay the expense.

That charity wasn't going unnoticed.

"Just thinking of getting you something as appreciation for following me around today," he said, nodding to the employee who opened the door for him as he entered the shop. In doing so, however, he completely missed the soft murmur behind him.

"But Admiral, what's the point of that, if I've never given you anything in return?"

* * *

Knowing she'd just choose the cheapest model she could find on display, after hearing the recommendations he made the choice of model himself, leaving the color to her when the clerk asked. He also picked up a nice little charm that he noticed she had her eye on that could be attached as an accessory, one that bore a resemblance to the one she wore in her hair. He wasn't sure of the significance, but the care he'd seen her treat it with told him it was at least more than some decoration.

He ending up selecting a solid model that skipped all the slider and flip gimmicks, things he didn't even need his structural analysis to see breaking on a dime. While he was at it, he also grabbed the same model for Kaga and one for himself. He even made sure to grab a childish looking model, with an emphasis on the shiny plastic, for a certain troublemaker. With everything bundled together, it admittedly made a bit of a dip in his savings, but it was still nothing in comparison to his growing food bill.

Collecting a few things for dinner as they left, the sun had begun to set by the time they made it back to where the bus would pick them up. Or at least, that had been his intended destination.

It was as they walked together, though, that he noticed her focus had drifted to something beyond the crowds of people that still gathered, the towering skyscrapers, or any of the other sights of city life. When he looked in the same direction, it wasn't difficult to guess what.

The ocean?

Now that he thought about it, she hadn't had the opportunity to see the harbor since her summoning, had she? As a matter of fact, he reflected with a wistful expression, the only times she had seen the water at all was from half a city away.

They could afford at least one more stop before they headed home.

"Hey, Shigure, let's go this way for a bit. There's one more place I think we should visit."

Giving him an inquisitive look, she nonetheless stayed obediently at his side as always. It didn't take long for her to realize where they were going, her expression something caught between gratitude and embarrassment.

When they arrived, the view they got was a fantastic one of the sunset reflected on the water. Even better, the crowds had thinned to just a few guys packing up their fishing gear off the port, and for the first time that day the tension in the destroyer's shoulders appeared to finally relax. When he over to her, the heartfelt smile on her lips as she looked at the water was all the confirmation he needed in his choice.

"Admiral," she said, finally breaking out of the informal manner of address now that they were alone. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

A comfortable silence drifted between them, and though he recognized they'd probably have to walk home at this rate, he was fine with that outcome. He was only now beginning to realize how much she needed this. Was it an effect of her nature that was tied to the ocean? The familiar sight of a harbor? This was probably the first time he had difficulty reading the answer from her.

But something told him he probably looked similar whenever he visited a certain park.

"Admiral," Shigure opened, "what do you think of when you see the water?"

There was only one thing that came to mind, honestly. "When I was younger, my dad often left for trips overseas from here. More than once, I stood on this pier long after his boat disappeared, and it'd fall on Fuji-nee to shake me out of that trance."

"I'd stay like that for most of the time he was gone, my body going through the basic motions with my mind lost in thought until he'd return several months later. When I knew he was coming back, I'd hassle Fuji-nee for a ride, and often we'd get here several hours before he actually got back."

"It was difficult for me to ever like this place, but I don't think I ever hated it either. I guess what I'm trying to say is, these waters often took the only thing I cared about back then, but they were also the one thing that brought him back."

"Then I started learning about you and your sisters, and strangely, this place began to feel more like home. I started seeing it less as a place of ebb and flow, and more so of a place of beginning, where everything finds its origin. A connection to so many different places, to so many different choices. I'll admit I've rarely visited since Dad passed away, but it's never been because I felt uncomfortable here."

"It's funny. In saying all of this I'm beginning to think that, maybe… the reason I felt a pull towards you girls in the first place was because I felt drawn to this place of endless possibility."

It was a bit odd actually. He hadn't originally intended to say all that much, but in putting his feelings into words he found he had a lot more to say on the subject than he thought. Were those really his feelings? Now that he thought about it, Shigure wasn't the only one who found herself comfortable here.

"I see, I guess I never thought about it like that." Her response brought his attention to the strange contrast at his side, between her expression and her stance. Her eyes revealed feelings of nostalgia, bittersweet but undeniably warm, while meanwhile her hands were clenched tightly at her sides.

Now that he thought about it, what had such a place looked like, in a time of war?

"Admiral, if I could ask one last question. And please, be honest with me." She looked up to him, with more vulnerability in her blue eyes than she had ever shown. "Why do you try so hard to take care of us? What have we done to earn your loyalty?"

That voice in the back of his head was staring him down again, the one responsible for drawing his attention in times of urgency. It was telling him what he said here, would likely form the foundation of their entire relationship.

Well, if she was willing to open herself to him… "I've mentioned before what my dream is, right? My ideal. I'm working to become a hero of justice, of saving everyone so that they can all come back smiling."

"Before he passed away, my father told me of how difficult that was, that it's impossible to save everyone because to save one person means not saving another. Something in me accepted that as meaning that as long as I was alone, that ideal would forever lie outside my grasp. I realized that for such a thing to happen, first I'd need to learn to rely on others."

"It was the hardest lesson of leadership for me to accept. To be perfectly honest, I still don't. But if I really am supposed to be yours and Kaga's admiral, then the first thing I have to accept is that you two are capable of things that I never will be. I know firsthand it's not easy to rely on people, but it won't change the fact you girls gave me a responsibility that demands I do such, and that's far more important than something as meaningless as my pride. As for helping you out, I just think it's the best way for me to express those feelings."

"Honestly, it's nothing more than that I just like making sure the people around me are happy."

Sitting down on the edge of the pier, placing down the bags he carried to the side, he noticed that in their time together, everyone around them had left, with the sun disappearing beyond the horizon to reveal a full moon. Turning his head to the girl behind him, he had to hold back a chuckle at the way her mouth half-opened and closed, as if that explanation had been the last thing she expected to hear.

None of that did anything to detract from her form standing in the moonlight. He was reminded of a night similar to this one when he had first laid eyes on a girl in a similar setting. Unlike the carrier, though, it was clear to him that the night was this girl's element. Because quite frankly, he couldn't recall a time she'd looked more breathtaking.

He thought of the similar thoughts he'd had of Kaga earlier that day, feeling a light blush rising to his cheeks as he did so. Geez, at this rate, he might end up falling for one of these girls without even noticing it.

Back with Shigure. After another minute of her surprise, she seemed to shake herself of that hesitation, finally deciding on a response.

"Admiral…"

But she stopped, whatever she was going to say lost as her face underwent a quick and drastic change. It was an expression he'd never seen on her before, and frankly, now he was the one left stunned. Her stance became alert, her back straightening to its full length, while at the same time her focus shifted to the water. Gone, however, were any impressions of nostalgia. If he had to place it…

He'd say it looked like she was getting ready for a fight.

Before he could ask what was going on, in a flash of light her school uniform was replaced by the appearance of her full rigging. Long artillery guns rose from her back, while in her hands she carried a small turret, torpedo tubes attached at her thighs. The black uniform that made him think she was the student of another school was back, with what looked like little rudders now attached to her shoes.

"Admiral, go call Kaga for help! She'll protect you!" The urgency in her tone gave him pause, which allowed her to make a run for the edge of the pier before he could react, ending with an impressive jump for the water. When she hit, instead of the splash he was expecting, she landed as if she were still on land. He was left even more speechless as he watched her _standing_ on the water, a small wake spreading out from her feet like the ones that followed behind any boat.

Then she was gone, moving with a speed that matched her true identity as a destroyer. He, in turn, was left sitting there, mouth agape in shock, trying to piece together the previous few seconds.

What the hell just happened?

* * *

It had been a nice day, despite her initial concerns.

She just… did as he said. To try and treat him as a friend, rather than her superior. Even if in the end all that meant was focusing on him, listening to him, asking questions on things she didn't understand. Anything that would distract her from all the people that surrounded them. And then when she finally built up the courage to confront him there at the end regarding his intentions, he went and surprised her as he always did, by saying the thing she probably least expected.

She still had difficulty accepting it. That her admiral would spend so much of his effort to protect her when it should've been the other way around. She didn't dislike it, but such a thing also brought with it a very real sense of apprehension. He wasn't the first to make such commitments to her after all.

She didn't want to suffer that pain again. Surviving battles no one else did because her 'luck' only brought misfortune to everyone else.

So when she detected that sense of danger she was so familiar with, she'd made sure to place as much distance between her and her admiral as she physically could without any hesitation, and even now moved with the speed she did to increase that range even further.

Yet why was her sonar blaring at a time like this in the first place? Japan was living in an era of peace, there weren't any more battles to fight. But still the sirens in her head continued to blare, and something in her instincts instructed her that they were to be listened to. For something dangerous was out in these waters, and it was getting closer.

She heard them before she saw anything. Low groaning that gave her the impression the owner was in a constant pain. Or perhaps more foreboding and far more accurate, she thought as her back ran cold, _hunger_.

Shortly thereafter she began to notice their dark outlines on the water, black monolithic heads rising from the water, forming what at first resembled the visage of distorted destroyers. That is if she didn't think to include the dull yellow glow coming from hollow eyes, and the shine of ivory that was most likely teeth.

For anyone else their forms would've likely made for a natural camouflage under such conditions, their shapes blending almost perfectly with the dark of night. It didn't bother her in the least. There was a reason she had gained a measure of infamy as a night-battler during her previous life.

She asked no questions. She made no compromises. She knew without a doubt these creatures were an enemy that threatened both her and her admiral's life, for she trusted her instincts. The latter was all the motivation she needed to take action.

When they began to turn in her direction, what she had previously determined to be their mouths opening to reveal _five-inch gun mounts_ within, she was already in position.

The torpedo tubes fixed on her legs spun into position and tracked her target, the first in the line of three. Whatever these things were, they didn't seem to have the presence of mind to perform any evasion tactics, and so double checking her aim she pulled the release. With that almost soothing sound of pressurized air, her oxygen torpedoes launched, and tracking the trail they left behind she allowed herself a small smile before they even hit.

She had enough experience to recognize a clean hit even without an explosive confirmation. Though her grin did get a little wider when it came nonetheless, the first of the creatures disappearing in a tower of ocean spray. The echoing growl of anguished pain delivering the final note that she now had at least one less enemy to deal with.

The remaining two didn't take the loss lying down, however. Even if they were still out of range to fire effectively, the flash of gunfire ignited from their wide maws regardless, the subsequent shells arcing through the air to impact the water surface far too short of her, as she expected.

Then again, while such a shot was difficult, it wasn't impossible.

Waiting for her torpedoes to reload in that mysterious manner they did in this form, she raised the cannon in her hands, the smaller ones at her sides following the same trajectory. Five naval guns operated at her command, five chances to dial in her target.

Bracing for the recoil, after a final calculation she fired her main gun, watching as the shot curved towards the enemy gripped in her optics. Even as she did so, she kept her enemy's fire in the corner of her eyes, monitoring its gradual increase in accuracy.

Her own first attempt landed just a few meters off to the right of the new lead ship, far closer than any of the ocean pillars rising on her own side of the battle. The turret on her left rotated according to the new adjustments, before firing its first gun, then its second. It was only thanks to a last minute dodge the monster had avoided damage that time, and with that, she had all the variables needed.

Her last turret fired its twin guns simultaneously, fully confident this time she had it. Both rounds flew true, the first shell bouncing off an invisible barrier of some kind, while the second smashed whatever it was with the sound of breaking glass and the sight of an explosion confirming impact.

The cry it gave in response wasn't so much one of pain, but anger. Still, it slowed until its ally assumed the lead, using the other as a shield as it recovered. It was hurting, but it didn't look to be backing down.

Two confirmed hits already. At this rate, she might really… wait…

She knew that sound! Those were…!

She looked up, and a dawning sense of real peril began to consume the destroyer for the first time since the fight began.

* * *

At the same time, Shirou was pacing the pier in irritation, anxious to know what was going on but obviously lacking any means to follow.

Why had Shigure seemed so panicked? Why did it look like she was prepared to fight? What had she seen, that even now eluded him?

Why couldn't he shake the feeling that if he didn't do something soon, he'd lose something irreplaceable forever?

"But what exactly am I supposed to do?" he muttered, sitting back down at the edge of the harbor. He sighed in frustration as whatever it was that made him unsettled only seemed to worsen, and in an attempt to calm his nerves he looked up at the moon, dark clouds beginning to give the view a rather ominous feeling that couldn't have been more unhelpful.

It was then as if in response to that question, that in a gathering of light and an almost cute puff of noise, that a little black-haired fairy showed up in front of him. Her eyes were openly concerned, and floating in her current position, she lowered herself until she fell into his lap.

Central?

Ah, that's right. Hadn't his answer been with him this entire time?

"I think I could really use your help right now. I'm almost certain Shigure's in trouble right now, but I can't say for certain why. Do you have any way to show me what's going on?"

Her expression became serious, and with a strong nod of her head, those two other fairies he had also met in their first meeting appeared. As before they just as soon disappeared, but he recognized the change in him he'd experienced once before. The clairvoyance they gave to him returned in full, thoughts and images coming to mind in a surprisingly organized manner, before that map of Japan they had shown him came to the forefront.

Except this time, it was no longer a blank portrait of the island nation.

The scene changed until he was given a close up of Fuyuki, more specifically his location, and at the center point was a green arrowhead with his name hovering over it. Was this supposed to be some kind of tactical map? In that case…

The view shifted a certain length to the south, covering several kilometers of open water before it focused on what he hoped for. An arrow just as the one before – this one shaded in blue – was marked with Shigure's name and class, but what was concerning was that she was closing distance with several other similar markings in red, each one labeled with a series of question marks.

What? Was that an enemy fleet? But that… that didn't make any sense. Who was their enemy supposed to be?

Those were questions he knew he wouldn't find the answer to, at least not here, so instead he focused his efforts on understanding what was being shown to him. Apparently, he was somehow getting a feed from the kanmusu's radar equipment, or some similar media. If that assumption was true, and what he was seeing was real, then at least his confusion regarding Shigure's sudden sortie was no longer a concern.

Which meant he now had plenty of room for new ones.

It was then that one of the enemy indicators went unexpectedly dark, replaced with boxed lettering that read 'Signal Lost'. By this point the formations on both sides were facing each other, moving with aggressive behavior, and under the destroyer's name tag was a new message in blinking fine print that read 'Torpedoes: Reloading'. Did that mean the disappearance had been Shigure's work? What did she see, that she would take the initiative like this?

He'd save that question for later, because a far more concerning development had grabbed his attention, and it was swiftly approaching the shipgirl's position from further south. Several formations of red dots were gathering around the marked enemy ships. They moved far faster than the other figures, and the squadron formations they were in gave him the hint they most definitely weren't other ships. If those were what he suspected, then that could only mean one thing.

Somewhere in that fog of war was an enemy carrier.

He chuckled, a hollow and bitter sounding thing. It was such an unfair matchup he spent another minute coming up with other possibilities, fairer situations that would give Shigure a fighting chance. It wouldn't change reality. When the enemy squadrons finished forming and bore down on the lone destroyer, her up to that point coordinated movement becoming increasingly erratic, and all he could do was clench his fists in acceptance that they were both facing a worst-case scenario.

Shaking his head to dispel the images in his mind, he looked down at the fairy who was still in his lap, who returned his gaze with one expectant and willing. Now that he thought about it, hadn't Tia said she was meant to provide him with tactical advice too? If that was the case…

"Okay, Central, give me some options. Help me be the admiral I'm supposed to be."

With a nod, she pulled out her notepad and began scribbling furiously. In record time, she handed him another of those lists he was beginning to take greater value in.

 **1\. Call for help?  
** **2\. Shigure will be fine. She can handle herself.  
** **3\. Rely on Kaga for reinforcements.**

The last two were out of the question. Shigure was obviously being overwhelmed by an enemy neither of them understood, and he had no idea where Kaga even was right now, let alone how to contact her, or how long it would take for her to respond. As for the first…

"I'll take whatever help I can get," he decided, a grimace creasing his brow at how useless he felt. Still, he had said it himself not even an hour ago, hadn't he? That if it meant he could be the leader these girls deserved, that if he could make them all smile, he would even learn how to place his burden on others.

Central nodded, the relieved grin appearing on her small features offering him some small measure of comfort. He wasn't sure what to expect, though. What kind of help was she talking about?

At that time the low drone of an engine caught his attention, and looking up, he was met with a sight that left him speechless. Flying towards them, maintaining an altitude just a few feet above the water, was a Type 2 Flying Boat small enough to fit right at home in his shed. Even more startling, were the two fairies standing at each end of its wingspan, holding onto cables that were carrying a package of some sort below the aircraft.

Pulling up just as it reached the docks, the fairies let go of their burden, which proceeded to hurdle towards him in an arc that would've made any bomber ace proud. It was an easy catch, and once in his arms, he found whatever it was had been tightly wrapped in a tarp, likely by the same fairies in an attempt to protect their load from the elements.

Quickly unwrapping it, within he recognized it as an old photo frame. Though if the dust and signs of wear were anything to go by, it had been lost in storage somewhere for at least a decade, probably longer. In it was an old black-and-white photo of several men gathered in the uniform of the old imperial navy, standing at attention on the deck of what he recognized to be an aged dreadnought from the first great war, but whose identity eluded him.

He couldn't quite place the difficult contrast in impressions it gave him. Despite its appearance, he couldn't shake the feeling the photo had been preserved by a loving hand. Yet, from what he could tell, no human hands had touched it in ages. His mind provided a quick solution to the discordance.

Magecraft.

His suspicions rising, with the roar of a broadside echoing in his mindscape, the quickly-becoming-natural feeling of his circuits flared in activity. By that point, he wasn't surprised at all when his structural analysis soon encountered the same resistance he'd come across just before summoning Kaga.

He felt it was okay to allow himself a small smile of relief.

Even if his desire to fight at Shigure's side was out of the question, that didn't mean he couldn't send someone who could.

* * *

Shigure ducked, firing off a few blind shots to her rear as some small means of protection as she continued in her attempts to put distance between herself and her foes. Meanwhile, every AA gun in her arsenal, from the Type 96's to the small 13mm, continued to fire, filling as much of the sky with lead as she could reasonably manage. That wasn't a number one scoffed at, considering how many anti-aircraft measures the Japanese had taken towards the end. Yet for every one of the strange spheres acting as aircraft she shot down in a flaming wreck, another two would take its place.

She veered to the side, barely avoiding the two torpedoes the enemy ships had sent her way. She scoffed in distaste. Another impossible dodge.

It seemed her 'luck' was at work again, and she only prayed no one would suffer for it.

In truth, she was barely holding on as it was. She hadn't yet taken a serious hit, but the box she found herself in was closing on all sides, and she was summarily losing time to react. And as Blackfin had taught her, even Shigure of Sasebo's luck didn't last forever.

The spiritual representation of her hull, the shield that was currently responsible for her survival, lit up again as it protected her for the countless time from the machine gun fire of the aircraft she failed to dodge. So far they had only been using their guns, despite the few bombers she noticed in their pack, which meant she was fine as long as none of the enemy artillery hit her.

She wasn't coming out of it unscathed, though. Already her skirt hung in tatters, the tears extending high enough as to give a clear look at her thighs, the skin underneath covered in bruises and other blemishes. Her blouse was frayed at all ends, and she wouldn't even get started on the mess her hair was in. The rigging on her back was in the worst state of all, one of the guns rising from her back warped beyond repair from a near miss with enemy fire, while the whole structure was littered with dents and holes that seemed to act as a representation of the remaining strength of her defenses.

It wasn't telling her good news.

As if the introduction of the fighters hadn't been enough, in the time she'd spent evading she'd also fallen into the range of the enemy ships, and covered by their new flying escorts as they were, they proceeded to open fire on her with impunity. Speaking of which, performing a serpentine maneuver between yet more walls of water from evaded shots, she used the brief cover to make a hard turn to the left.

There was no strategy to the maneuver, it was merely that she'd noticed yet again she was headed back in the direction of the shore. As high as the odds were against her, if she retreated now it was likely she'd bring someone else into this fray, worst case even her admiral.

It should've gone without saying, but retreat wasn't an option for her.

Sadly, the whistling of more artillery drew her attention, her eyes opening wide at the shells falling directly on top of her. She realized all too late that the box had finally closed, that the previous fire had been nothing more than a feint to direct her on such a course. These creatures either weren't as simple-minded as she originally thought, or they were now taking direction from something other than their instincts.

Neither of those possibilities bode well.

The first landed just in front of her. A miss, but the barrier of water that followed blinded her, and even worse threw off her concentration. It left her close to helpless as the other rounds fell.

The second was a call too close for comfort. Just as she regained her eyesight, she felt as much as saw it pass narrowly by her head. An unquestionably mortal blow if she'd only been a few centimeters closer to the right. She didn't have time to consider a response…

For the third was a direct hit, deflected only slightly before her shielding broke with a fear-numbing crash, and with it also left any hope she had that she'd be coming back from this. The new angle the round took was just enough she wasn't killed, but the resulting explosion as the shell lit still caught her, and she screamed at the burn of shrapnel hitting her side.

But with that pain came focus, for even in life, that was one sense kanmusu were well familiar with.

It also served as a reminder, that even if she could barely stand as it was, she could still fight, still grit her teeth and press forward. Only one of her guns was damaged, and she still had plenty of ammunition to spare. If this was to be her end, then the time for running was over. This was where she stood her ground, fired everything she had, and took as many of these bastards with her as she could.

Gone was the meek and gentle girl who looked on everything with a soft smile. In her place was a cold-hearted veteran that had survived over four years of constant war.

Regardless of her personal opinion on the matter, her status as a survivor was far from one of weakness.

Yet that was when she heard it. The shrill cry of that which she had feared the most since the start of this conflict. While that fear had disappeared, the danger was still very much real, and ignoring the other enemies bearing towards her she looked up to give this new foe her full attention.

Dive bombers.

In unison, all her guns rotated to concentrate upwards, and with a battle cry she pulled the trigger. This time, flak and AA filled the air so thickly as to give the impression the firework festivals had come early. Even as her guns glowed red from overheating, she continued to lay on the trigger, putting up hundreds of rounds in seconds, for there was no purpose in letting her guns cool.

Frankly, she doubted she'd get the opportunity.

Yet regardless of the sight of several explosions confirming her kills, she felt no optimism, no reason to cheer. There were simply too many for that, more than one bullet grazing her now defenseless arms to leave behind a bloody trail. However, there was no more hesitation either, no faltering in her stance. She could be satisfied with this outcome, because it'd never been death she ever feared. Her end was something that had always been easy for her to accept. For her, it had always been the idea of dragging others down with her. There was one thing she regretted leaving behind, though.

For as a contrast to that bravery, as she continued to face the sight of her end, there were tears that ran down her cheeks as she whispered in heartache.

"Admiral… I'm sorry."

She still couldn't discern what exactly her feelings were for Shirou. Confusion? Admiration? Empathy? It could have been any of them. The one thing she knew for certain, though, was that in the few days she'd known him, he'd earned her trust. She didn't know what he'd experienced in his past, what kind of tragedy it was he had seen, but whatever it was when he spoke of understanding, as a shipgirl she had never felt those were empty words.

He knew of the scars that war left on the soul, and somehow even carried some himself.

If he could do that for her, if he could manage such a thing in such a short time since their meeting, then she had no doubts he'd save her other sisters. He'd earn their trust as well, find out what these things were, and chase them down to destruction.

Even if she wouldn't be there to see it.

Even if hers was one smile he couldn't save.

…or at least that's how things would've ended, had that very same boy not shown that her trust in him was well-deserved, only a few short moments before.

Instead, the fire and shrapnel of Type 3 shells lit up the night sky in an awe-defining display of power, ensuring to include the squadron of bombers bearing down on her.

"Burning… Love!"

* * *

How many times today had it been? That he found himself speechless, standing before a girl he found to be overwhelmingly beautiful.

Her brown hair cascaded down the full length of her back, and tied to the side were two braided buns that gave her a rather unique hairstyle. Warmly smiling at him with grey eyes that had something of a mischievous tint of purple, she was dressed in the outfit of a miko, though it was modified with a shorter black skirt and thigh high socks, along with a headband of interesting style.

Then there was her rigging and the four heavy turrets that came with it.

"You called, Admiral?"

Her voice was energetic, bright and cheerful. It was such a contrast to the previous girls he'd summoned he realized only now he'd begun to assign Kaga's and Shigure's personalities as the standard for their sisters. He'd be sure to avoid doing that in the future, as it was clear shipgirls had personalities that came in just as many variations as the humans they stood alongside.

She giggled, finding something amusing in his expression, and he realized he'd been staring at her in dazed amazement for the past few moments. Leaning forward in a provocative fashion obviously meant to emphasize her bust – of which was an easy rival with Kaga's – she poked him in the chest while looking at him with upturned eyes. "You know, Admiral, as much as any girl likes being appreciated, there's a proper time and place for these things, ne~?"

While he was accustomed to such teasing from Tia, the impressions he was getting here were a bit different. Unlike the little goddess, while the actions were similar, the intent was clearly distinct. It was in the way her gaze shifted to the water, her stance playful but also taut like a coiled spring, and he came to the conclusion this was her way of kindly reminding him they didn't have time to waste right now.

Though that brought with it the question of whether she had read into what was going on, or more likely, that she was merely compassionate enough to recognize his distress.

Yet as if to contradict that, when she turned back to him, her cheeks were puffed in childish petulance. "Though on the other hand, thinking of other girls in front of a woman is bad manners too. It looks like my admiral needs to be taught how to properly treat a lady."

That one caught him off guard, and as he was left choking to stutter out an apology, his newest summon grinned while laughing cheekily. Seeing that, all he could do was take his own turn to pout immaturely. Try as he might, regardless of how many times he was caught by it, it appeared he'd always be weak to such teasing.

The most he could probably do, was make it a goal to one day return such sentiments in kind.

His innocent reaction seemed to be the answer she was looking for though, for as her eyes softened with an almost maternal look of sincerity, she said, "Admiral, battleship Kongou awaiting your orders. From now on, leave the hard stuff to this big sister. Let's both do our best desu~!"

That was enough, for him to find his voice again. "I'll be relying on you then. First things first, there's a destroyer out there somewhere. Bring her home."

"At your command, Admiral! Battleship Kongou, launching desu~!"

* * *

End: Shirou may be getting used to the browser game, but as any good KanColle player knows, it's only after you play the browser game regularly _and_ download the android app that you can really begin to call yourself an addict…

...of course I'm joking.

And now Shirou has the right party for me to really begin having some fun. Honestly, I've been waiting now for a while to bring this girl into the fray. She's always been a personal favorite. Well, one of them anyway.

As always, reviews are appreciated guys. Thoughts, questions, criticisms. Hit me with them.


	5. A Change in Tactics

A/N: Yep, that's right, this fic's not dead yet. With that having been said, I'm going to conveniently ignore the ridiculous waiting period this chapter took. Though I will say some might have noticed I changed the rating. I might change it again later, but only if I actually get around to really writing something that's only appropriate for a mature audience.

With a quick note of thanks to the usual guys, nitewind and BlueHelix, for ensuring you guys don't have to deal with my grammar mistakes, let's get right into the thick of things. Here's:

* * *

 **An Ocean's Sword  
** **Chapter 5  
** **Short of War (II) – A Change in Tactics**

–––––

"FIRE!"

Hot lead arced across the water as the fast battleship opened with yet another broadside, high explosive shells disappearing into the distance only to reappear as towering splashes alongside the enemy ships. With her appearance alone the battle had already made a full turn from its status just seconds before, now with what were once pursuers finding themselves in full reverse in a hopeless bid to retreat.

She might have missed, but it'd also never been her intention to score a hit in the first place. It was a scare tactic, a coordinated series of shots meant to keep the things off of her while she followed on her higher priority of checking on the injured destroyer before her.

As for Shigure, she viewed the scene in a half-state of shock. While she had considered the possibility of Kaga appearing to assist her, as incredibly slim as the chance had been, this, on the other hand, had taken her expectations and spun them on their head. Was this another shipgirl her admiral had summoned? But if so, when had he…?

" _How are you doing, Shigure?"_

That's when her radio crackled to life, and in an echo of static Shirou's voice shook off the haze her mind had fallen into.

"Admiral?! I…! Who…?! You… How…?!" To her embarrassment, she still had some trouble articulating her thoughts. Stopping to take a breath, she tried again. "What's going on? How am I hearing you like this?"

" _Good, so it does connect after all. I'll explain later, but for now_ , _I'm more worried_ _about_ _how you're doing. Are you hurt?"_ Even over the blurry transmission, she could still hear his concern.

"I'm fine, Admiral. Just a few scratches." It was an understatement, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was to worry him when they both knew there was nothing he could do.

" _Kongou?"_ Wait, what was he…?

"Of course she's lying. She's taken a pretty nasty hit to her side. She's definitely going to need treatment for that. Otherwise, while she looks to be in a right mess, and at least one of her guns is going to be decommissioned until it sees repairs, she's okay. Gritting her teeth maybe, but okay."

" _Alright then."_ A sigh, though she had the impression it was directed more towards himself than anything. _"Sorry for taking so long, Shigure. Guess we still showed up a bit late."_

"No." Try as she might otherwise, her voice still cracked as she shook her head, regardless of whether he could see the action. "Admiral, I couldn't ask for more."

Her resolve finally cracked, and in doing so, so did the façade of her previous courage, acknowledging the one thing she'd forgotten in facing what she thought would be her death. A promise she had made to friends long passed. Her shoulders trembled, silent hiccups of relief racking her chest, for the truth of the matter was the boy's timing couldn't have been more on point. The fact she could still talk with him like this was already a miracle in her eyes.

For there was one thing she feared above all else, and that was how her death would burden those she left behind. A pain she had never experienced, seeing as she was the last of her sisters to sink. That wouldn't be the case here.

She owed him an apology when they got back.

There was a moment of silent contemplation, and perhaps even a rare insight of consideration, on his end before, _"It's wrong of me to ask this, but can you still fight?"_

Like that, the flux of emotions she felt disappeared, replaced with a different kind of resolve to be found in her eyes, a fire she'd been missing since this fight had begun. "As long as it's your order, Admiral. Always."

Kongou giggled at her side, the sound communicating her own agreement. He'd probably never realize just how large of a debt they owed him from their perspective. And fighting his enemies was likely the sole thing, as shipgirls, they knew how to do.

" _In that case, let's finish this. We can't let them get away and hurt someone else. Kongou, put up as much anti-air as you can, but keep concentrating your fire on the enemy ships! Shigure, stay close to her, rely on her armor to keep you safe, but I'm entrusting you to take out any of those things in the air that get too close!"_

"Okay!" the battleship exclaimed, "At your command, Admiral! Battleship Kongou, moving to engage the enemy, desu~!"

Though she didn't respond with nearly the same level of enthusiasm, Shigure moved into position next to her escort, focusing her attention on the small little blips she caught with the air radar formed in her mind.

Speaking of which, they were beginning to reform, initially startled as they were by Kongou's timely arrival. But at that same time they split up, several continuing to retreat in the same direction they'd been going, while the remaining flights broke off with the clear intent to attack anew, likely an attempt to give their allies the critical time they needed to reorganize an offensive. However, they'd find there would be a fundamental difference in this second run of theirs.

Because this time she was ready.

In the silent lull of combat, as their two forces gradually converged, she looked towards the other kanmusu, more questions on her mind than she could possibly keep in order. She realized she actually had very little understanding of what kind of power her admiral had, this 'magic' he supposedly used to summon her and other girls like her. That, in turn, brought up another disconcerting thought altogether…

There was actually very little she _did_ know about him.

As it was, her attention hadn't gone unnoticed. For when she shook off those personal concerns and focused on the battle ahead, she found the other girl looking back at her with a soft smile.

"It's good to see you, Shigure. It's been a while," Kongou said, turning to look ahead once more.

While they had never really fought side by side like this, their task forces had operated together in at least a couple of engagements. Their relationship in life couldn't have been said to be much of a personal one, but then again the destroyer had managed very few of those outside of her other Shiratsuyu-class anyway. What happened to them, and then later at Surigao Strait, had ensured there had been no others.

That didn't mean they didn't share a common sense of camaraderie, however. Regardless of class, a shipgirl always did her part to look out for the fleet.

"You okay?" the battleship asked, concern inflecting her voice.

It was apparent what she was speaking of. Her assessment from before of Shigure's status hadn't been an exaggeration. The area just above the destroyer's waist where she'd taken that indirect hit left her clothing torn to shreds, the skin underneath bruised and burnt. Aside from a few grazes, she wasn't bleeding, but that didn't mean it wasn't painful.

That said, it should be mentioned that the hit she took would've proved fatal to an average man. But a shipgirl's defenses proved to be more than just spiritual, so it seemed.

As for Shigure herself, her response to the question was a small nod and shy smile but chose to not speak of the matter. It hurt, but it was far from incapacitating. As long as she didn't take another hit like that, she'd be fine.

With the admiral guiding them, she knew Kongou wouldn't let that happen.

It was a short second later though, that the destroyer's curiosity finally got the better of her. "Kongou, why is it that you seem so okay with all of this? You were just summoned, weren't you? Aren't you confused by what's going on?"

' _Aren't you surprised to find yourself human?'_ was the question that went unasked.

"Yep!" she heard in cheerful reply, the battleship looking over to give a thumbs up. "I haven't got a clue as to what's going on right now desu~!"

"But then…" She hesitated.

Kongou continued, "The things I do know are all that matter to me right now. I know that the Admiral's my admiral and that I'm here because he asked for my help. If you're here, then that means others have answered that call as well, so I can be sure it wasn't just me that felt he's a good person, too. If that wasn't already enough, then I've been given another chance to defend the land my sisters and I call home, and that's more than I could ask for me to find the resolve to fight. I'll ask the questions I need to later."

"For right now, finding myself with a body and the opportunity to express myself as a woman is just an added bonus desu~."

The English-born warship stopped, her amusement dulling into a flat glare forward, and anything more on the topic would have to wait. Both kanmusu felt their opponents bearing down on them, their instincts demanding focus on the battle ahead. Countless rifles angled up to greet the approaching aircraft, and both girls had their stances tensed in anticipation.

Then once more, as the enemy squadrons drew within range, tracers again lit up the night.

Speeding ahead, Shigure took the lead, determined to operate as she'd been commanded and give the battleship the time she needed to zero in on the enemy ships. Speaking of the strange creatures she was still no closer to understanding, it seemed they'd finally taken notice of the lack of distance they were putting between their two groups in their retreat. Whether their confidence had been bolstered by the return of their air support, or it was just the consequence of the burning resentment one could see in their eyes, they were done running, beginning to turn to more prime firing positions.

For all the good it would do them, they may as well have been running in circles.

But they weren't her targets anymore. As Shigure aimed at the vanguard of strange aircraft, she found that the additional support behind her gave her the freedom she needed to finally pick and focus on her targets, and as it turned out, to an experienced fighter such as herself that made up all the difference. Her optics centered on different elements of the lead flight, a contingent of five fighters lacking any proper formation, who charged recklessly onto the two of them with open maws and armed machine guns.

It only took a few seconds for her to trace a trajectory for each of them, adjust her AA fire appropriately, and give the command to her gunners.

An unusual change came over her, blue eyes sharpened with killing intent. "How disappointing," she whispered in a cold monotone, completely unlike her usual meek self.

The veteran within her had arisen once more, and like that, the first enemy flight went down.

In a quick series of explosions from flak burst and torn fuselage, the burning chassis' left to fall into the ocean did so with almost sickening ease. In that moment several parties were reminded that the destroyer Shigure boasted one of the heaviest AA armament of all the Shiratsuyu-class, and it appeared she was no less proficient with it.

"Wow! Nice one!" the battleship complimented as Shigure fell back in line with her. In response to that initial welcome, the other air units veered off from their course, displaying that they did, in fact, have some form of intelligence underneath all of their instinctual bloodlust. She continued to track them regardless, ready for when they made their next pass.

Meanwhile, next to her Kongou perked up in a manner that indicated her firing solution was finished. In all honesty, the destroyer suspected they had probably been within the firing range of her guns this entire time, but Shigure also understood the meaning behind holding off the trigger as she had. In their current situation they'd lured the enemy ships close enough that at this distance, it'd be unheard of for any experienced crew to miss.

And now, suddenly without even their fighter escort to protect them, the blackened vessels never stood a chance.

"All guns, FIRE!"

The following eight-gun salvo was a clear display of the difference in potential between the two sides. With pillars of water drenching it in ocean spray, the lead destroyer that had been the battleship's target erupted in a haze of fire and black carcass. It didn't even get the opportunity to scream, its armored hide torn apart like paper, and soon thereafter its flaming remains were sinking beneath the waves.

That still left its brother-in-arms with the opportunity to fire its gun in retaliation though, and it did so with a roar of anger. Aiming at the battleship that had killed its ally, Kongou nonetheless bore the incoming rounds no mind, waiting for her guns to reload while maintaining her previous course and speed. The reason was obvious, the small caliber shells bouncing almost comically off the spiritual representation of the steel plating she had in life, harmlessly redirected back to the sea from where they'd come.

Her defenses would stand little chance against the guns of a proper battleship, but in the face of destroyer-class opponents with their torpedo armaments still reloading, the only threats she faced came from the air. That said, Shigure already understood that, doing her utmost to ensure even that threat would never show itself, her machine gun and flak emplacements reducing yet another flight that drifted in too close to free-falling debris.

"You want to take care of this last one, Shigure?"

She looked over to see grey eyes narrowed in distaste. Not at her, but at what was before the other girl. The creature, recognizing that its attacks were useless, seemed to have lost all sense of its previous order. What little it had to begin with that is. It was rampaging now, body movements thrashing uncontrollably, throwing its continued gunfire widely off target as it howled in frustration. Yet with it still barreling towards them without any signs of slowing down, it appeared all regards for its own safety had been forgotten as its base instincts took hold.

Considering those instincts were likely to be deeply rooted in malevolence, rather than experience, it was nothing more than a mindless beast by this point.

Shigure gave a solemn nod to the battleship, moving into the monster's path as her torpedo tubes, which were reloaded at last, rotated forward. Her blue eyes lacked any sympathy as she pulled the release, the Type 93 soon splitting a clear path directly towards her opponent. The creature this time noticed the attack, but rather than perform any maneuver to evade, it roared defiantly as it proceeded head first into the threat.

The outcome of that was as anticlimactic as anyone would expect.

Its head exploding in a gory display as the first torpedo made contact and detonated, the following examples of the long lance reduced the corpse to nothing more than tenderized grey flesh. The remains received no pity from either girl, who soon enough turned their backs from it to the threat that still remained above their heads. But with the main attackers gone, handling the last few demented aircraft was a quick affair between the two of them, and soon the shipgirls found themselves alone on the calm night seas, all presence of their enemy having had disappeared beneath the waves at their feet.

"Admiral, enemy forces destroyed," Shigure said.

" _Ah,"_ came the somber response, _"just give me another minute to… finally. Found it! Enemy carrier bearing directly south-southwest in retreat, range is approximately 10 kilometers!"_

Though she had no idea how her Admiral knew that, the destroyer turned to the battleship who nodded back to her, and without further question they adjusted their course to match the direction, moving with enough speed to gradually close the distance with their foe.

" _I don't like this,"_ Shirou muttered quietly, in that voice the destroyer had come to associate as the indicator he was lost in an inner monologue, a bad habit Taiga explained he developed as a kid with too many thoughts and far too few friends. _"Considering how close their carrier is, I can only assume that what you just fought was an escort fleet, and since Shigure apparently surprised them, then that can only mean we were never a target. But then who was? And on top of that, how did something like this get so close to Japan without authorities intervening, anyway?"_

"Admiral," Shigure interrupted, experienced with how long he could go on for if not otherwise disrupted.

 _"…Thanks, Shigure. Guess those questions can wait until later. What I should probably be asking you two, is what it is you're fighting, anyway? The fairies are helping as much as they can, but the most they can give me at the moment are positions and names."_

Well, that at least explained where he was getting his information from.

"Can't say," Kongou responded, grey eyes focusing on the waterline, alert to possible movement in the dark. "Kind of killed them before I got a good look. No offense, Admiral, but I'm still adjusting to the idea I can still fight at all."

After a short pause, he sighed. _"Sorry about that, Kongou. I forgot how incredibly confusing all of this must be to you. I'm still not sure of the specifics regarding my contract with you girls, so thanks for following me up to this point. I'll explain all that I can once you get back."_

"No problem, desu~!"

 _"Alright then. Anything on your end, Shigure? What are these things? Is it right for me to assume they aren't human?"_

The grip on the turret in her hands tightened in fear at the very possibility. "Though I can't say for certain, I hope there aren't any humans capable of making such things. I think they were once something else, but whatever that was, something's corrupted them. Turned them into abominations. They were angry, but they also looked like they were in pain."

" _Corrupted? Wait, does that mean that these things are part of…? Dammit, I thought we'd have more time before something like this came up. Shigure, Kongou, I'm working on something that should help, but be careful out there, you two. If these things are what I expect, then we've just gotten ourselves into something much larger than a brief surface skirmish."_

The anxiety in her admiral's voice put the destroyer on edge, which was probably for the best, considering…

"Shigure!"

She nodded, already noticing them herself. They swarmed the sky like an angry hive, and Shigure counted what had to be at least three squadrons, dozens of the little white demons circling in what she recognized as protective patterns. There was one major difference though, one that almost had her stumble when she caught it.

Unlike the fighters of before, almost all of the small creatures above their heads were outfitted with what looked to be bombs and torpedoes. Rather than the attack of desperation she and Kongou were expecting, she realized that they were dealing with a foe who had willingly sacrificed a portion of their forces to buy time to properly rearm.

Both the destroyer and the battleship next to her tensed, their course slowing to a pause in realization that it was their turn to wander into an ambush.

"Tch! Admiral! We've got bombers bearing down on us! What are your orders?!" Kongou yelled, their situation clear. A flight or two of fighters was one thing, but this…

" _I figured they were planning something. Heads up, you two, support coming in overhead!"_

Her curiosity got the better of her, and as she looked up blue eyes widened in disbelief, her shoulders easing with relief. Kongou next to her was no different, her arms crossing beneath her chest as she giggled at something.

"First thing I'm doing when we get back is grabbing that admiral of ours and squeezing the life out of him."

Shigure felt a heat building in her cheeks at the realization she shared the sentiment.

Several flights of miniaturized Zeros in Vic formation approached them from the shore, more than one fairy pilot saluting them as the force passed by overhead. It wasn't long after that the source of the reinforcements introduced herself.

" _Aircraft carrier Kaga, reporting in. Leave the enemy aircraft and the admiral's safety to me. My girls are all excellent kids after all."_

Shigure grinned at the familiar voice. It was about time she showed up.

" _Well, you heard her."_ Shirou's cough gave away his discomfort somewhat, and the destroyer found herself grinning sheepishly at the image that came to mind. The carrier was likely taking her role in his protection a bit too serious, just as she did most things. _"Leave the mopping up of the enemy air forces to the girls in the sky. Shigure, Kongou, concentrate your efforts on sinking whatever's spawning these things."_

As usual, the battleship was quick on the response. "Affirmative! Follow me! Shigure, follow up, ne~!"

The battle for air supremacy had already started by the time they were moving again. Though to call it a battle might've been exaggerating the challenge. With too little of a fighter escort left in the air to defend them, the small monstrosities weighed down by their own payloads stood no chance at outmaneuvering their new opponents. On top of that, it quickly revealed itself that Kaga's aircrew, or at least the fairy representation of them, had lost none of the skill they had in life.

It was good thing their fight had drifted so many kilometers offshore, for the sky lighting up with the machine gun fire of the Zeros, and the subsequent explosions of countless enemy vessels weren't doing much for the whole 'secrecy of magic' front. Then again, neither had the rest of this battle.

" _I won't fail again,"_ Shigure heard the carrier softly mutter. Her grasp on the turret in her hands tightened as she silently made the same resolution.

As for herself and the battleship next to her, they finally found their target, standing passively beneath that storm of fire. Yet, rather than the monster they were expecting in both of their cases, their eyes widened as they came upon the distinctly feminine figure.

"Shit," came the descriptively poetic response next to her.

Pale skin the shade of a corpse's, a short bob of white hair matted with coral and algae, on her head she carried what looked to be a grotesque cross between a crustacean and something straight out of the horror stories shared amongst her old crew. Shigure wasn't sure the girl had even noticed them, as hollow eyes, disenchanted of anything resembling life, looked up at the destruction of her children with plain disinterest.

Most harrowing of all though, was her presence. An aura the destroyer immediately recognized, for it felt like that of a fellow…

"Admiral," Kongou relayed, a strong somber inflection having taken her voice, "is there any way for you to see this?"

* * *

"Admiral, what's wrong?"

He felt her place a hand on his shoulder, her attempt to calm him after noticing his irritation, but it did little to stop him from continuing to clench his fists, from grinding his teeth at the knowledge there was nothing more he could do. He'd done all he could at this point, carried out all the options Central had given him, and he could think of no others.

To many that would've been enough, to these girls, he understood that was all they asked, but regardless none of that could change the fact that the existence known as Shirou Emiya would never be one content with the idea of standing to the side as others risked their lives.

No matter how much he tried to live otherwise.

He wanted to laugh at the irony that this had been what he wanted throughout his childhood. The hypocrisy clear to him that the words he'd told Shigure with so much assurance, in what couldn't have been much more than an hour ago, had collapsed on themselves like a stack of cards the moment one of these girls had faced any real danger. Kongou's appearance had been a stroke of luck, and if the fairies hadn't found her catalyst when they had, then in all likelihood by now Shigure would've been…

"Shirou, that's enough."

Fortunately, there was one at his side witnessing that inner turmoil and was anything but okay with it. Without much thought as to what it meant she dispelled her rigging and pressed up against him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she laid her head against his back. And just as it had been since time immemorial, that feminine softness once again proved its effectiveness at dominating the male intellect.

Well, almost anyway. In Shirou's case, his thoughts were less devoted to where most men would be and shifted more to the concerned shipgirl who'd felt the need to do such a thing in the first place. Chastising himself, for how could he expect these girls to maintain their composure in combat if even he couldn't, he relaxed in her hold, the carrier letting out a sigh of relief when she noticed that.

"Better?"

"Yeah."

It was always like this as of late. Ever since his and Kaga's first meeting, and doubly so when Shigure joined them. He couldn't afford to get caught up in personal concerns, and they, in turn, wouldn't let him. Quite frankly, it was the level of loyalty they showed him that had him first question the status of their humanity. He'd like to meet the person who could remain in foul spirits when at the center of that kind of earnest attention.

He wasn't sure if one could call that a healthy relationship, but it's what they'd made of it. Be that as it may…

"Kaga, you can let go now. I'm fine."

…Why was she still holding onto him?

"Ah! Admiral, I didn't mean to…"

Turning around when he felt her back off, he chuckled at the sight of her flustered expression. It was rare to see the carrier act outside of her usual apathy.

A light blush dusting her cheeks at facing his amused grin, she cleared her throat in an attempt to regain composure. "I apologize. In my attempts to comfort you, it seems I may have ended up relying a bit on you as well. I'm concerned about Shigure. That she was left to fend for herself because I wasn't here to offer support."

He shook his head. Hadn't it only been earlier that day that she'd been jealous of the destroyer? "You got here as soon as you could. There was no way for you to know otherwise. Some advice from someone with personal experience on the matter, blaming yourself won't change that. Just do what you can to make sure she comes back."

"Of course, Admiral. My girls wouldn't settle for anything less."

He couldn't deny it. The insight to call on her, the first thing he had done once he figured out how to use the radio the fairies gave him, was proving itself invaluable. He trusted Shigure to handle herself, and Kongou seemed reliable, but he knew better than to overestimate their situation when it was clear they were fighting an enemy none of them understood.

" _Admiral, is there any way for you to see this?"_

Such as moments like this one.

The question wouldn't have come up if the kanmusu on the other side didn't think it important. He looked to Central, who'd been hovering over his shoulder as a sentinel this whole time, silently requesting if such a thing was possible, and after a fierce look of concentration, the fairy gave him an uncertain nod. He wasn't sure what to make of that, but he wasn't given much time to think about it, as the fairy drew close to him…

…and then of all things _head-butted_ him.

The hell?

Yet once he recovered from the flinch, he found himself watching a video, a view from above he recognized came from a recon aircraft currently operating under Central's command. The image quality was poor, no different than the black-and-white imagery that was common at the time the shipgirls were living in their prime, but despite the night conditions he had no difficulty discerning Shigure's and Kongou's figures on the water. Likely a benefit of this feed being magical in nature instead of true technology.

The view shifted, and Shirou found himself with a first-person perspective to just how skilled Kaga's pilots really were, and that her pride was not ill placed. Granted, the fight was mismatched from the start, but even from the safe distance the recon fairy maintained it was clear it was more than just a difference between aircraft model. The camera didn't stop there, however, the focus continuing to shift until it began to zoom in on the figure that stood beneath that scenery of destruction.

That's when the realization of who their enemy was, of _what_ it was they were fighting, hit him harder than an angry tiger.

That was a shipgirl. A spirit of the same origins as the girls under his care, as the one currently standing next to him. Yet the difference between them was just as obvious. A grisly visage of black carapace and white skin, and unlike the girls who followed him, he knew the cause of such a change, too. All the pieces clicked together, and the truth left him even colder than that first time Tia had taught him of their mutual enemy. A voice coming to mind regarding a conversation he'd had in what already felt like a lifetime ago.

" _That's what awaits us, both you and I, Little One."_

This was what happened to these girls if he didn't save them. This was a kanmusu with her will corrupted by another.

Briefly, their eyes met, and in that empty gaze, all he found was enmity. As if to condemn him, as if to hate him, as if to forsake the ideal his whole existence stood upon. She acted as a living testimony to all his failures, namely his lack of urgency, and likely why it was Tia could be so unbearably insistent at times.

From that, he also understood there would be no saving her. Unlike himself, there was no mercy found in her stance. If given the opportunity, she would kill them all. Him, the kanmusu, the friends and family living in the city behind him. She posed nothing but a threat to them all.

" _Shirou. Saving one person means not saving another. You see, a person can only save those who are on the side they've chosen to take. It should be obvious, right?"_

Words of advice once given to him by his father came to him then, the warning the man had once given him. One he still refused to accept, regardless of how true the concept was. But that resistance was meaningless, and he knew what needed to be done, what kind of weight he'd have to shoulder so these shipgirls who followed him could operate with clear conscience.

Once again his frustration from before returned, and this time his fists tightened at his sides to the point of almost drawing blood, yet he nonetheless gave the order, "She's an enemy just the same, you two. My previous orders still stand. Shigure, Kongou, eliminate her."

It hurt. It hurt more than anything else he could remember. The fire. The loss of his past. Even his father's passing. In fact, it felt like he was _spitting_ on the man's memory. This was his failure, no different than all those people he'd ignored in the fire in order to save himself, to go and live on while they died in agony. A choice he never had the right to make.

" _Aye, aye,"_ came the confirmation, Kongou's previous enthusiasm forgotten.

He cut off the video feed as the sound of the battleship's cannons bled over the radio. He didn't need to see this ending for the image to be burned into his memory. He could imagine the sight of greyish gore, the wail of both agony and condemnation in death. There was no chance for a carrier without an escort, without even the support of her own aircraft, against even a destroyer, let alone a battleship.

"Kaga, what is that I ever did to earn your loyalty?" he muttered absently.

"Admiral?"

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

The carrier obviously didn't believe in those words, the concern she had for him clear to see in her brown eyes, but she pressed no further. He was grateful for that. He needed some time with his own thoughts.

He considered his purpose, the power Tia had given him to summon these girls with the freedom to either live their own lives or fight at his side. In acknowledging that, he also knew he wouldn't be able to save all of them, accepting that some had already been lost before he and Tia even met, that from the beginning there had been nothing he could do for them.

But he did so with newfound resolve, with the conviction he'd do everything in his ability to recruit all those that remained, to help them adjust, pull them from the corruption that seemed to be their only alternative. Regardless of what it meant for his other responsibilities, what effect it would have on his education, career, or his future in general, from now on this would remain his primary focus. Everything else he did would be directed towards this.

And maybe, by the end of it, he might even be able to claim he saved a few of them.

Shigure and Kongou returned shortly after that, Kaga's pilots arriving just before to land on the flight deck she had once more on her arm. Kongou looked no worse for wear, but the destroyer next to her was visibly leaning to one side, and in his concern, he found himself gradually drifting closer to the edge of the port. Yet when something lit in the battleship's eyes as she saw him, he entertained the possibility that might have been a mistake.

"AD~ MIR~ AL~!"

The battleship sped up, jumping clear over the edge of the pier, and though her rigging and other armaments disappeared, she was still left barreling at him with the same speed of her previous course. His first instinct was to catch her, but when her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs around his midsection, with her full weight and momentum backing all of that, he could only sigh in exasperation.

Well, just before he had the wind knocked out of him anyway. Wasn't doing much of anything after that.

Once the stars cleared from his eyes, he found himself wrapped tightly in the arms of the girl now lying on his chest, and he raised an eyebrow in noticing she was in the midst of rubbing her cheek against his chest. He almost swore he could hear her _purring_.

"Uh, Kongou? What exactly are you doing?"

She stopped, greeting him with an amused ashen gaze and a cheeky grin as she replied, "Isn't it normal for a girl to hug the guy she likes, ne~?"

How was any part of this normal?!

"It hasn't even been a day since we first met," he deadpanned.

She sat up while still on top of him, her head tilted in honest, and admittedly adorable, bewilderment as she responded, "You're my admiral. What else is there to know, desu~?"

He opened his mouth, a curt rebuttal in mind, before he stopped, choosing instead to chuckle in resignation at the recognition that likely _was_ all the reason this girl needed. If he thought about it, Kaga and Shigure were no less affectionate, it was simply a matter that they went about a different way in showing it.

"I see. If that's the case, mind helping me get up then?"

She did so, but nothing prevented the battleship from clinging tightly to his arm after the fact. Unaccustomed as he was to such persistent affection, he had to fight off a blush at the feeling of his arm pressed between her…

The giggle at his side and the coy smile told him she fully knew what it was she was doing, as well that she understood the effect it was having on him. Dammit, she was far worse than Tia ever was. For one thing, she actually had the figure to pull it off. For another, her previous comment hinted to a level of something beyond just humored teasing driving her actions.

Yet despite that, he found he had no desire to shake her off, thanks to the playfulness sparkling in her eyes so reminiscent of Fuji-nee that it almost had him smiling. For despite the teasing, despite whatever deeper implication it meant for him and his future, the affection behind this gesture he felt more inclined to liken with that of an older sister. The meaning behind that didn't escape him.

For as spiritual beings in nature, he had come to understand kanmusu were in turn almost instinctively tied to human emotion, in a manner he could never hope to emulate. Just like Kaga before her, this girl was likely sensing the distress he'd been feeling just a short moment ago. Unlike the carrier though, it seemed she lacked the same reservations. He might have made it a personal commitment not to dwell in any self-pity, but he had the distinct impression this girl would ensure he never had the opportunity to stray from that path.

Now if he could only understand why it was these girls seemed to always offer him such support so freely. Yet as uncomfortable with that concept as he still was, the least he could do was return it in kind.

"Thanks for your hard work, and bringing her home, Kongou." Reaching up to ruffle the battleship's hair, he was caught off guard when her expression broke into one of complete astonishment, followed by a light blush that took over her cheeks.

When she began to lean into it, closing her eyes while giggling like a child seeking praise, he was suddenly reminded of the whole kanmusu and 'never had a physical body before' detail. Now that he thought about it, before these girls started showing up, he'd never really been much of one for physical affection. Or affection of any kind, if he were perfectly honest.

Even if Fuji-nee had done everything in her power to ensure he was at least used to being on the receiving end of it…

A weight settled on the shoulder of his unoccupied arm, and he was unsurprised to find Central looking up at him with a knowing smile. It seemed to be a habit she'd adopted recently as a sign he'd done something right concerning the shipgirls in his care. However, when the fairy looked off to the side, he was reminded Kongou hadn't been the only one fighting the frontlines tonight.

Said destroyer at that moment was being given a hand by Kaga onto the pier, and it seemed the girl currently latched to his side hadn't missed it either, if the way she let him go with a friendly shove was any indicator. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed as he approached the two, knowing he needed to say something but lacking the intuition as to what that might be.

Perhaps it was fortunate then, that the matter was taken out of his hands, as the destroyer chose that moment to stumble, and he found himself next to her, bracing her side, only a second later. Matters of the heart may have still been a foreign entity to him, but his reflexes were as sharp as ever.

"You okay?" he asked, choosing to overlook the fact the destroyer's face was currently warm enough she'd probably burn a hole through his shirt if it got any hotter. Struggling with a response, she eventually stuck with a short nod, and at that, he began to pull away.

The hands that tightened their grip on his shirt said otherwise.

"I'm sorry."

…and once again he found himself at a loss for words, the destroyer's tone about as broken as the first time he met her. She was depressed about something, something she felt was her fault if the apology was anything to go by, he just had no leads as to what. His immediate response in looking helplessly to the others only resulted in failure, instead, finding himself on the receiving end of that pointed glare all men seemed to instinctively recognize as 'do something, you idiot'.

He was silent for a few additional seconds, before a memory from his childhood came to mind. With that, he did something.

"Shigure?"

"Yes, Admiral."

"Look at me." She did so.

*Tap*

"Eh?" Shigure uttered cutely, her blue eyes opening wide. Baffled at the feeling of him lightly rapping her on the forehead with one of his knuckles.

He had been an apologetic kid immediately after his adoption, going to Kiritsugu for every little mistake he made. At first, the man would just lightly wave him off with an amused smile, but after several days of the same pattern, he could only assume his father had grown frustrated enough to try a different approach. It worked. It wasn't until a conversation he'd had with Fuji-nee after the man's death that he had learned why.

Sometimes, what some people needed most in times of guilt was a little chastisement.

He didn't have to wait long to see his suspicions confirmed. Pulling away from him Shigure did what she could to straighten her appearance, before rightly deeming the matter a lost cause, facing him with a weak smile.

"Thanks."

He patted her head as a reminder no thanks were necessary. "You're welcome. I'm just glad to see you're safe. Let's get you girls home." He'd save the questions and discussion of what happened tonight for another time, but that reminded him of the mild moral crisis he'd faced shortly before the shipgirls' return.

It was ironic, to think that it was the dark thoughts of another that ultimately led to him forgetting about his own.

 **[Congratulations! Shigure's Rank Increased!]**

* * *

He found himself making the trek back to his home guarded on his left and right by Kongou and Kaga respectively, their fourth member currently being carried on his back with her arms hung loosely atop his shoulders. Shigure had predictably tried to make the walk herself at first, but when he became more insistent once it was clear she could barely stand in place once the adrenaline faded, she quickly gave in with a meek nod.

Ten minutes after that, and he felt a soft rhythmic breath against his neck. Kongou confirmed for him she'd fallen asleep.

In doing so, he actually found himself intrigued by just how light the destroyer was. Even more so than one might think from her appearance. Granted, he was no slouch when it came to personal conditioning, but after seeing her and the others in their full rigging, he'd just expected that kanmusu would be… heavier.

He briefly considered asking Tia if that detail had something to do with their nature as spirits, before he reconsidered when a certain memory of Fuji-nee reminded him it was generally a bad idea to talk about girls and their weight. Which now that he was thinking of her…

"Hey, Kaga, I wasn't supposed to feed Fuji-nee tonight, was I?"

She shook her head. "No, after you made it clear you'd be spending the afternoon with Shigure, she came to her own conclusion you'd be arriving late. I doubt she imagined it'd be for these reasons though."

Well, putting aside the ominous assumptions the woman was no doubt making on her own, he'd take whatever mercies he could get.

"Admiral? Who's this 'Fuji-nee'?"

He held back a sigh, looking over to see the battleship tilting her head inquisitively. Now that matters had settled, he recalled he'd promised to answer any questions his most recent companion had regarding him and their situation. This wasn't the first thing he expected her to ask, but he acknowledged it was still an important matter regardless.

"Her full name is Taiga Fujimura. She's more or less a family friend that took responsibility as my guardian when my dad passed away. I should probably warn you she can be a bit… eccentric."

"Troublesome," Kaga added.

He laughed nervously. "Uh yeah, that too. Maybe I should start from the beginning…"

When he finished his description of the woman partially responsible for raising him, including the story he was using to explain the shipgirls' presence, Kongou seemed a bit hesitant about something. "Admiral, don't take this the wrong way, but this guardian of yours… sounds really gullible."

He sighed, nodding in agreement, the carrier next to him doing the same. It was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it was likely the only reason he could consider taking these girls in under his roof in the first place, yet on the other…

…he had to look no further than his own shed to see how many con-artists had noticed the same.

In the meantime Kongou had brought a hand up to her chin in contemplation, likely pondering over everything he had just told her of their other housemate, before continuing, "So then if she isn't coming over, where would she be on a night like this?"

"Probably out drinking with a friend, I'd wager." A habit he was still struggling to bring to an end, for Otoko's sake surprisingly. "She usually eats over at pub named Copenhagen on the nights she doesn't come over to my place. I could never figure out why she doesn't just go home for dinner."

"I see," the girl muttered, once more slipping into her thoughts.

Perhaps it was rude of him to think so, but Kongou didn't strike him as the type to normally do such a thing. Quite frankly, from his first impression, she struck him as a more spontaneous character coincidently similar to the woman they were speaking of. Because of that, when her third question was to ask for the woman's description, he found himself raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Hopefully, it was just his imagination, but was she planning something?

Interrupting his own observations, the battleship stopped, looking over her shoulder to the empty street behind them. "Admiral," she said after turning to face him again, "there's something I left back at the port. Go on ahead without me and treat Shigure's injuries."

He shrugged, shaking off his suspicions as the paranoia they most likely were. The request was innocent enough, if a bit strange. "Just be safe. I'll answer any other questions you have once you get back. I should have something small whipped up by then as well."

Giggling, the brunette sent herself off with a salute. "It's a date, Admiral~!"

He shook his head in amusement, watching as the battleship walked off while humming a song he didn't recognize. At least until he felt a tug on his sleeve, turning to find a carrier looking to him expectantly. Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be such a small meal after all. At least this day couldn't last much longer…

* * *

…but he should've known better.

He had been in the middle of addressing Shigure's injuries at the time. It had turned out to be much easier than he expected, with a little of Kaga's help and any knowledge he lacked being superseded by the fairies in little medical outfits. The destroyer herself had obviously woken by that point, and if he wasn't so focused on dressing the ugly bruise above her waist then he would've likely been blushing just as much as she was as she sat in the bedroom he'd given her in nothing but her underwear.

That was when his doorbell chose to interrupt him, and Kaga used that to kick him out with the promise she'd handle the rest so he could prepare dinner.

What he found there to greet him had him pausing in momentary shock. A sheepish Fuji-nee stood on his front doorstep, supporting the shoulder of a clearly drunken Otoko, but even that wasn't unusual enough to surprise him.

What did, was the battleship occupying the intoxicated woman's other side. Even that didn't hold a candle however to what his faux older sister was trying to tell him after gathering the three of them around the usual table.

"So you see, Shirou, even if I do trust you, you have too many girls staying with you. I can't always be here to watch over you, so you need another adult to help supervise you. That's where Kongou-chan comes in. She recently flew in from England and doesn't have a place to stay, but she was nice enough to volunteer to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get up to anything unsavory. She even went as far as to help me carry Neko-chan after she drank too much."

Said woman groaned at the mention of her name, "Damn you, Taiga. Damn you and your ridiculous alcohol tolerance. Shirou, would you be a good dear, and fetch me the usual please?"

He nodded, getting up and heading to the kitchen to do just that. He needed to occupy his mind with the thought of something else anyway. He did his best to ignore the implications that came with the knowledge that Otoko was no lightweight herself. Yet every time they had one of their contests, it ended up like this. He just wished Taiga's response wasn't to always come over to his place every time they did.

It still needed to be said, "Fuji-nee, are you telling me you're leaving me with a woman you just met?" He looked over apologetically to the shipgirl to get across it was the principle itself that bothered him.

Of all the ways the older woman could've answered, she chose the path of the pout _._ "Mou, when did Shirou start doubting everything I say? This big sister of yours is a good judge of character, and you know I'd never make such an impulsive decision."

He actually agreed with the first statement, the second, however, was highly debatable. He wasn't the only one to think so either, if the snort from Otoko was anything to go by.

If he was being honest, he really did want to treat her more seriously, but it was just so _hard_. It didn't help that through the entire explanation behind her back there was a battleship who was literally and figuratively _beaming_ , her right hand held up in a 'V for victory' sign.

Game, set, and match. Tiger, zero. Kanmusu, just getting started.

Fuji-nee might've had an absurd level of luck, and constitution to hold down her liquor, but she was about as gullible as they came. A weakness he'd unintentionally revealed to his newest kanmusu, who was apparently cunning enough to take advantage of it, because even he wasn't naïve enough to actually believe all of this had happened by chance. This time, it was looking like he wouldn't even need to try to convince the woman to let his newest fleet member sleep under his roof.

This was going to become a new pattern, wasn't it?

* * *

"Good morning, Little One."

He grunted in acknowledgment to the messy white bed head that made herself known behind him, shifting to the side to make room for her. While typically confident of his skill in the kitchen, this was one case where he had to admit his defeat. He didn't know where she'd learned it, but for some reason, Tia could make fantastic coffee. Of course, when he asked her about it, all she'd given him was that disarming smile of hers, along with the vague comment that she was simply familiar with black mud.

Shaking his head of the idle thought, he found himself glared down at the food he was supposed to be making.

"Rough morning?"

He nodded, turning the heat down after deciding it was probably best to take a break and do something else about his frustrations before he took it out on someone's breakfast. The fish had done nothing wrong, after all. That's when he noticed the change.

"Um, Tia. Since when could you reach the coffee pot?"

It was a trivial detail, but she wasn't using the step stool she normally would use to reach the counter, instead standing on her toes to work with what he assumed was just beyond her grasp. She shrugged, crossing her arms over the black shirt and white jacket she was wearing, a faint amusement on her lips. "For as long as we've been partnered. Are you feeling alright, Little One?"

Was that so? Huh, weird.

"Just recovering after everything that happened last night, I guess. If it wasn't for a lucky call thanks to Central and the other fairies, we might have lost Shigure. At the very least, she'd be a lot worse off than she is."

"I hope you realize I was trying to avoid that."

He resisted the urge to clench his fists, failing to look her in the eyes instead. "Yeah, I know that. I screwed up. If I had taken this whole Admiral business seriously from the beginning, she may not have been hurt at all. Not to mention the number of girls who have already been taken by whatever the hell it is we're supposedly fighting might've been taken down one or two."

"I won't deny that, but for what it's worth, Shirou," the look of criticism she was giving him softened, "you handled things well once the fighting started. More importantly, you kept calm even though it was your first fight, and by doing so offered that same peace of mind to those girls when they needed it. Don't beat yourself up over this. You've made some mistakes, now learn from them."

"I'll keep that in mind. It's not easy, though."

"No, it isn't. And it doesn't get any easier."

He looked at the clock, sighing as he went back to work on the half-baked breakfast left simmering on the stove. The others would be up soon. "I spent most of last night trying to figure out what we'd do if the authorities came to investigate. We weren't exactly subtle about what happened last night. Turns out it wasn't necessary. Have you seen the news?"

He caught a flash of steel as she narrowed her eyes in anger. "Let your media dispute their conspiracy stories. It's best if they don't realize the truth. From what they're saying, and what you've experienced, I'd say it appears our enemy has made his first move. While I knew that he'd grown arrogant in his victory, I must admit I didn't foresee it was to this extent."

"Glad to see I'm not the only one thinking it. At least it's clear now that whatever their real objective was, it had nothing to do with us. I just can't understand what the point is in striking a military base like this. Why draw attention to themselves when they've already passed under everyone's radar for this long?"

He was startled as the girl next to him burst into a fit of laughter, though it lacked any of her usual humor. "Little One, it's about time you remove yourself from those games of yours. Not every movement in war is about tactics on the battlefield. Pieces on a board don't suffer from hunger or lack of supplies, they don't get scared and run away, and most of all, they won't betray you for the winning side."

"Wars are just as much a matter of spreading fear as they are an act of violence. In that regard, this is a foe who will always be victorious, as you can't drive fear into soldiers who have no mind of their own."

He had to stop himself from drawing blood as he bit his lip. He knew she was right, had thought the same even, when he'd seen that mysterious girl the kanmusu had killed last night.

"You ask what the point of last night's attack was, Little One? Let me paint a picture of how things will go from here. The leading theory seems to be that they were attacked by pirates of some kind, correct? Then they'll be looking for an enemy that doesn't exist for a few weeks, maybe a month or two, before calling off the search. It's when the disappearances start up a second time that the danger will begin to set in for some. Your military will suddenly be faced with the dilemma they're fighting an enemy they can neither trace nor understand. Who knows what will happen after that."

He couldn't find fault in that logic. From what the news reported, he could only assume that what he and the girls had engaged was nothing more than the separated division of a much larger force. The attack had been quick and under the cover of night, so it wouldn't be surprising that no one had been able to get a proper look at them. Yet despite all of those advantages, the damage to both military property and personnel was minimal. At least enough to the extent the press hadn't bothered to release any numbers.

When he considered all of that, what Tia was trying to say was the only thing that made sense.

"If all of that's true, then the one thing I still don't get," he began, handing her a stack of dishes to help set the table, "is why all of this is necessary? If this thing is really all that powerful, why doesn't he just bring an end to it and crush us?"

"The long answer is that the collective will of humanity isn't something to be underestimated. Revealing himself now would eventually result in that same existence recognizing him for a threat, one that needs to be eliminated. Even he understands that danger." Then she smiled, and a shiver rose up his spine when he noticed the predatory gleam in her eyes. "As for the much shorter answer: Because he enjoys the thrill of a good hunt."

"I see." Slipping into a momentary silence, he thought over everything they talked about, and found himself wondering again how it was Tia had come to know all of this. He knew from previous experience that speculation was pointless, however, and all he could hope for was that she'd trust him enough one day to share that with him.

"So Shirou, with all that being said, what do you plan to do now?" He couldn't have pried the 'I told you so' off her expression with even a crowbar.

Knowing that, he at least had the decency to blush in embarrassment. "What I should have been doing from the beginning. Find and summon as many of the kanmusu as I can, ask them to help us fight, and hope that it's enough to defeat these… these…" And here he was, struggling to come up with a name for the things they were supposed to be fighting.

Tia shook her head in exasperation. "If it helps, I believe the best term for them right now, would be abyssals, considering their nature and where they originate from."

"Right." Abyssals. He could work with that. At any rate, it was better than anything he could come up with.

"I believe that's the right course of action," she praised. "Though considering the threat they are to everyone right now, I thought for sure you were planning on going back out there the moment all the girls recovered."

He couldn't stop the shaking of his arm as he struggled to dish out the final plate at the table. "Believe me, that's exactly what I want to be doing, but not only is that likely to get the girls killed, I'm confident doing that would bring more harm than good to innocent people too."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"The Mage's Association. Something my father warned me about when I was first learning about magecraft. Dad always told me I should never worry too much about keeping my skills a secret, but he did tell me that if the Association ever got word I was spreading information like that around, they'd stop at nothing to silence both me and anyone I might've told."

"That means I can't tell anyone what's going on, I can't warn them to run when the danger approaches again. I'm okay with telling Fuji-nee a few half-truths to keep her in the dark if it means keeping her safe, but this? More people are going to die because they don't know what's going on, because I'm making the choice to keep this all a secret."

"That means we'll have to take the battle to them once we're ready. Even then, we can't go in guns blazing. I doubt we'll be fortunate enough to slip under the radar a second time. If we're anywhere close to the shore, Kongou's guns alone are going to alert every coast guard in the area to our presence. So I need to find a way to limit the causalities, to keep people away from the fighting without them growing suspicious. My first idea was a bounded field similar to the one Dad put up around the house, but that kind of skill is beyond anything I currently know how to do. I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to overcome that."

"It's rather simple, isn't it? You just have to look for someone who can." And as if that lead-in was what she'd been waiting for, Central chose that moment to appear, notepad already in hand.

* * *

"E-excuse me, Tohsaka-san. If you don't mind, we're currently trying to recruit members for the track team, so I was thinking…"

She did her best to smile politely to the girl, interrupting, "I'm sorry, Saegusa-san, but I'm not really looking into joining any clubs right now. Most of my time after school is already taken up by my family obligations, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist."

For what it was worth, the girl seemed to take the rejection well. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry, I didn't realize. I just thought that since you and Maki-chan know each other from middle school, it'd be fun to join the same club."

"Thank you." Smile. Don't break character. Tell a white lie. "I'll consider it if any of my time clears up."

"Of course, have a nice day, Tohsaka-san."

Keeping her eyes on the other girl, the smile dropped the moment Yukika disappeared behind a corner, and finding herself alone in the hallway after school, it took more willpower than Rin was willing to admit not to break her mask and scream with frustration.

Someone had the nerve to try and make her school into their territory!

The fool wasn't even trying to hide their presence. In fact, since the first day of the school year, it seemed like it was only growing more obvious by the day. Either they were underestimating her skills as Second Owner, or they came from a third-rate family and didn't know the first thing about covering their tracks. She couldn't decide which outcome was worse.

Of course, she'd briefly considered she was simply detecting one of the Matou children attending the same school as her, before writing that one off as impossible. Their oldest, Shinji, seemed to lack any skills aside from pissing people off and attracting loose women, and as for the other one, she knew she wouldn't even be attending high school until next year.

No, she was certain that whoever this magus was, they were uncertified to be here.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there were all the strange rumors about these disappearances that were being spread as well. Those she would ordinarily ignore, but now everyone was talking about this mysterious attack that no one seemed to know anything about other than it happened last night. If the two were related, then that meant whoever was behind this obviously didn't care at all for the secrecy of magecraft, and the last thing she needed was the Association breathing down her neck.

If things got any worse, her city would be turned into a bloodbath.

That left her with only a few possibilities, namely those that were insane enough to risk such a death sentence. A loose sealing designate, a dead apostle, or perhaps most dangerous of all, a magus from a no-name family with a powerful gift and the desire to make themselves recognized. They were all valid groups with their own extremists who couldn't care less what kind of attention they got as long as their message was conveyed.

Obviously, the one behind this needed to be hunted down before things got to that point. On top of that Kirei, useless as he was, had decided in his wisdom this would be a good experience for her to own up to her responsibilities. So perhaps she should've considered herself lucky such a strong magical presence had made itself known right next to her, but that didn't make it any less frustrating.

It was like they were mocking her!

That, more than anything, was something she couldn't accept. Whoever was behind this would soon be getting a piece of her mind, probably in the form of a few well-placed shots of Gandr to their back, and maybe a gem or two thrown to their feet.

She would have to tread carefully though. Whoever it was that was causing a ruckus in her school, she could at least be certain it wasn't some idiot who'd just walk up to her and introduce himself.

* * *

End: Or a.k.a. the chapter in which Shirou begins taking his role as an admiral more seriously after some personal reflection, gets glomped tackled for the first of many times, Kongou proves that she's the new top troll of the Emiya residence, and Rin finally decides she's had enough with being left out of the plot.

I'd like to think this is where things begin to get interesting.

Any questions, comments, criticisms? Leave a review or a message on the forum, guys. They're always welcome.


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